The Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has called for arrest and prosecution of owners and staff of private laboratories involved in issuance of fake COVID-19 certificates across the country.
Gbajabiamila issued the directive during the interactive session with heads of various agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Aviation, underscored the need for the enactment of a law for the establishment of a government agency such as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that will regulate the activities of operators within the airports in Nigeria.
While expressing grave concerns over the presence and activities of touts and other miscreants at the airports who engage in extortion of unsuspecting travellers and other unethical practices, the lawmaker called for deliberate actions toward ending the menace.
Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa in a presentation disclosed that some individuals who presented fake COVID-19 certificates were arrested and handed over to the Department of State Security (DSS) for prosecution.
On the reliability of the test carried out by the private laboratories, he argued that some of the private laboratories might not be involved in the fake COVID-19 certificates, but by some corrupt individuals who allegedly connived with some officials at the airports.
In the same vein, Director of Port Health Services, Dr. Godfrey Oratubo who affirmed that the agency has so far laid-off 20 private staff and 3 permanent staff in Lagos as well as 9 private staff in Abuja, adding that 90 percent of the staff involved in the scandal are private staff.
While stressing that the Port Health agency is under-staffed, he disclosed that the Ministry of Health has initiated a process to get waiver for the recruitment of permanent staff with a view to strengthen its operations.
However, when the Speaker asked whether there was any prosecution made so far, he explained that they were only handed over to the DSS but could not afford to follow through.
While responding to question raised by the Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji on the allegation bothering on corrupt practices being perpetuated by personnel of various regulatory agencies at the airports, FAAN Managing Director, Rabiu Yadudu who disclosed that regular meetings are held with the management team weekly and daily during emergency period, as well as regular town-hall meetings with 1,500 staff at the Lagos airport.
In his remarks,Hon. Gbajabiamila who argued that the problem with Nigeria was that there are no consequences for those perpetuating illegalities, stressed the need for prosecution of indicted persons who will serve as deterrent to others.
He said: It’s not going to be one of those sessions where there will be no outcomes, I think one of the outcomes will be a law that specifically sets up an agency of government to oversee the operations of the airports like the TSA like I said.
“I think the TSA appears to be the silver bullet that cures most of the things we heard here and the chairmen of the relevant committees in the House led by the Aviation Committee, hopefully will begin to put this together, hopefully within the next two week we will have a draft of the bill.
“And if you can work with Mrs. Jumoke Oduwole (Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business) will be hands-on, on the ease of doing business. And work with FAAN and all the other agencies as well. So that we can streamline operations at the airports which would include even the issue of the perennial touts. For wants of better words, let me call them, men and women that have no business at the airport.
“So in the next two weeks, let us see the draft so that we can set the ball rolling in the chambers and bring sanity to out airports,” he stated.
