… Mammoth crowd of well-wishers gives him rousy welcome
The immediate past Managing Director and Chief Executive, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Kabir Yusuf Mohammed was accorded an unprecedented and triumphant entry into Nnamidi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja by the workers and passengers at the Airport.
Mohammed who was in Lagos on Thursday where he handed over the reign of leadership of the airport Authority to the newly appointed Managing director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, arrived at the Abuja airport at about 10:30hrs local time, where he was received by a mammoth crowd of workers of FAAN and other stakeholders at the Airport.
The stakeholders were heard shouting praises of their former Airport manager and Chief Executive, saying, Kabir you are great!!! We will miss you!!! Oga Kabir you are the best we ever had!!!
The former chief executive of FAAN who was speechless when he saw the mammoth crowd who welcomed him to the federal capital city Airport, could only wave hands and shook hands; in response to their cheers.
It would be recalled that Mohammed within six months of his resumption as the Regional General Manager (RGM), Central Airports, FAAN, eliminated incidents of extortion and touting at the Abuja airport.
He gave the facility the face-lift any federal capital airport could have, anywhere in the world.
This, among other attributes, many believe qualified him to be appointed as the Managing Director of the largest airport network in Africa.
Mohammed, who was appointed as the managing Director Chief Executive of FAAN in May 2023, had just started implementing similar processes of eliminating extortion and touting across the nation’s gateway airports, when the federal government decided to relieve him and other aviation agencies Chiefs of their appointments on Wednesday December 13, 2023.
At a meeting with heads of security agencies atached to gateway airports in Nigeria, about two weeks ago, the former Chief Executive at FAAN had warned that any airport official caught engaging in any form of extortion or touting within airport environment, would be made to face the full consequences of his or her action.
Mohammed, at the meeting, told the airport officials that their activities would be monitored by some “mystery staff ” who will report findings to management for necessary action.
Unfortunately, a female operative of Nigeria Customs Service, was, within a week after the warning against extortion, caught on camera engaging in extortion of a passenger at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.
The video clip of the Customs personnel which has gone viral on social media has generated comments across board, even as the Nigeria Customs Service, in a statement by its spokesman described the officer’s action as inappropriate and unacceptable.
