23022018 - Confusion over Yobe girls; angry parents stone gov

28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018
AKURE AIRPORT: When cows,
airlines compete for space on runway
•Stray cows on the Akure airport runway
By Dayo Johnson,
Regional Editor, South-West
THAT cows took over the
runway of the Akure airport
last Saturday and delayed an
aircraft from landing is not news
to many travellers using the
airport. It has become a
recurring decimal that cows
compete for space on the
runway as airlines have to wait
endlessly to land on many
occasions.
In fact, staffers of the Federal
Airports Authority of Nigeria,
FAAN, at the Akure Airport cohabit
with the cows almost on
daily basis.
The fear of attack by the
herdsmen, who have
permanently sojourned in the
vicinity, has made officials of the
By Dayo Johnson
Akure—A renowned cleric,
Ade Adeniji has urged
traditional rulers in the
country to shun politics and
acts that could lead to their
dethronement or banishment
by political office holders.
Adeniji, who is the Pastor incharge
of Chapel of Truth, in
his prophetic message made
airport to continue to keep
sealed lips on the threat that
their presence in the restricted
area is causing.
It has become a routine for the
security personnel of the airport
to engage the herders who stray
to the runway from the forest
surrounding the airport.
Sources at the airport said the
authorities have let the
herdsmen be, to avoid
confrontation with them.
According to Vanguard’s
finding, the cows, after grazing
in the restricted areas, would
take solace on the runway to
relax for the night.
They also litter the runway
with cow dung which is always
evacuated the following
morning by the airport
cleaners.
Unfortunately, the airport has
no perimeter fence to wade off
intruders.
With the absence of a fence,
wandering herders and their
cattle have had unhindered
access to the airport.
Vanguard was reliably
informed that sometime last
year; a legionnaire employed by
the authorities of the airport,
simply called Baba Ojo, was
almost beheaded for
challenging the herders from
putting the lives of travellers at
risk by allowing their cattle to
stray on the runway.
A source told Vanguard that
some of the herders are so
comfortable that they wave to
airport officials while their cows
graze daily in the restricted
area.
Recall that sometime in May
2016, during a clash between
some herdsmen and farmers,
the state government held a
peace parley which included
security agencies, farmers,
cattle breeders, cattle rearers,
Cleric advises monarch to shun politics
available to newsmen in Akure
lamented that the obaship
institution which was divine
has been dragged into the mud
by politicians, who used and
dumped the monarchs at will.
Speaking at a meeting with
some monarchs, the cleric
wondered how some
politicians who ran to
monarchs for endorsement
during political campaigns,
turned around to depose them
It has become a
routine for the security
personnel of the
airport to engage the
herders who stray to
the runway from the
forest surrounding the
airport
over slight mistake.
Adeniji said: “Governors or
presidents have no temporal
or spiritual powers over obas
and cannot appoint, demote or
dethrone any traditional ruler.
“It is a sin against man and
God for politicians to go to the
palace to prostrate before an
oba to beg for his royal
blessings and later browbeat
them. It is abominable for oba
to cringe at the roar of
politicians or kowtow to them.
Adeniji, who said the Land
Use Act should be amended so
that the lands could be given
back to the monarchs, also
advised the Federal
Government to inaugurate the
House of Chiefs so that
monarchs would be able to
play advisory roles to the
government.
In his welcome address, the
Ogbolu of Ita-Ogbolu in Akure
traditional rulers, community
heads, and government officials
among others.
At the meeting, a top official
of the FAAN in Akure shocked
the gathering when she raised
the alarm over security
infringement by herdsmen
whose cattle now use the airport
runway as relaxation centre.
The official said no fewer than
40 cows on daily basis converge
on the airport warning that they
pose a serious threat to flight
operations.
Last week’s ugly incident
where cows took over the airport
runway and disrupted flight
operations at the Akure Airport
was seen as not only a security
risk but an embarrassment to the
country.
Officials of FAAN and the
airport security personnel had
a hectic time clearing the
runway to allow the aircraft to
land safely after about 20
minutes delay.
Vanguard gathered that the
pilot was about returning to
Lagos when he was informed
from the control tower that the
cows would soon be cleared to
allow for its safe landing.
FAAN bares fangs at security
officials
Embarrassed by the ugly
incident, FAAN swiftly
apologised to Air Peace Airlines
and its passengers for the
incident.
FAAN, in an apology by its
General Manager, Corporate
Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu
said “normalcy was restored
quickly, as officers of the
Aviation Security department
quickly dispersed the cows
from the runway and the aircraft
was cleared for landing.
“The authority will like to
assure travellers and the
general public that efforts are
already ongoing to close the
gap that aided this incident,”
Yakubu stated.
But absolve itself of
incompetence, FAAN
suspended the head of Aviation
Security in Akure for the
embarrassment caused by the
cows invasion of the runway.
FAAN’s General Manager
said the “agency was not
unaware of recent
developments at some airports
within the country with respect
to security breaches, and had
started putting measures in
place to improve security.
“We have taken various
initiatives and measures to
guard against breaches of any
sort at all our airports
nationwide.”
North Local Government Area
of Ondo State, Oba Idowu
Faborode said monarchs in the
state were being marginalised
in the promotion to the first
class status by successive
governments in the state.
The monarch said the royal
fathers in the state should be
given recognition like other
states in the federation.