• Friday, March 29, 2024
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FG vows to prosecute violators of COVID-19 airport protocol

N14bn alleged debt: Bi-Courtney denies owing FAAN

The federal government has vowed to prosecute all violators of COVID-19 protocols at airports, including high-profile Nigerians.

Hadi Sirika, minister of Aviation while briefing at the regular Presidential Task Force on the coronavirus response team, PTF COVID-19, said the Ministry received lots of inquiries concerning alleged unruly behavior by VI passengers, including the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari and Ahmadu Fintiri, the current governor of Adamawa state.

Sirika said investigations are ongoing into the alleged unruly behaviors, adding that the violators will be prosecuted.

He disclosed that under the aviation laws, violators can be sentenced to the least sentence of 2 months in jail if found guilty.

He also disclosed that the government will however apologize to them if they are found not to be guilty of the allegations.

“We are equipped with cameras in our airports, we can pick everybody, all security agencies in this country have cameras in the airports, we will take it very seriously we will investigate and once we find you guilty we will prosecute you.

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“So if you are found to be an unruly passenger because you are a big man, a VIP the simplest thing we could do is to refer you to the police and they must by law prosecute you, regardless and it will be not less than two months imprisonment.

Sirika quoting the NCAA regulations defined unruly passengers as anyone who becomes unruly at the airport terminal building or onboard a particular aircraft commits an offence.
“So first it is an offense to fight or another carry out any disorderly conduct on board an aircraft or in the terminal building,

“The E part of the regulation states that an unruly behaviour also includes disobedience of lawful instructions issued by the airport commander, the captain or flight cabin crew/attendant, check-in staff, or any lawful staff on lawful duty at the airport.

“So if you refuse instructions you have become an unruly passenger, an unruly passenger according to table 29 (51) Says such behaviour requires the punishment or criminal referral for imprisonment between two months and 10 years.

The minister however urged all VIP passengers to be of good conduct.

“Please VIPs show that you are a VIP by conducting yourself in the manner that you would want to be identified with.

Ehanire Osagie, Minister of Health in his remark noted that as the numbers continue to rise in the phase of community transmission, Nigeria, like many other countries has hardly any other tool left, than to focus on the value of non-pharmaceutical measures for prevention.

“Studies in many countries have confirmed the effectiveness of wearing masks in reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission since it provides mutual protection to all wearers. It is therefore still important, for us not to give up, but all continue to practice these measures, especially using facemasks, physical distancing, and imbibing social courtesies like not sneezing or coughing into open space, but into a tissue, especially with people around”.

He said that aim of the Federal Ministry of Health is to reduce fatalities by ensuring that those citizens defined as vulnerable to COVID-19 are offered protection by prioritizing them for advice on non-pharmaceutical measures like staying home, except for essential activities outside the home, and in such cases, wearing and retaining a mask and avoiding gatherings of persons.

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As you know the COVID 19 infects people of all ages, however, evidence to date suggests that two groups of people are at high risk of fatal illness on the COVID-19 infection.
These people above the ages of 61 years and those with underlying illnesses and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and those with special diseases such as cancer.

It is therefore very important that those that fall within this group know how to protect themselves from COVID-19.

However, even if you’re not at high risk, you must continue to play our part to prevent the spread of the virus from those who are vulnerable and can die from the COVID-19 infection.
He stressed that the vulnerable will also be prioritized for admission to observation or treatment centers, even if they do not yet have symptoms. “In this regard, it does not help anyone to continue to deny the presence of COVID-19 in our communities, or to test its virulence by engaging in risky behavior. The consequences can be dire”.

“We urge all shops, businesses, service centers and places authorized to open to the public, to require that their customers and visitors use masks and adhere to these simple measures or else be denied entry”.

“It is also important to state for clarity that masks must cover the mouth and nose, that a mask pushed under the chin is not effective and should not be under the chin for any reason, that we need the mask most, when we are speaking, and it should therefore not be removed to speak, that wearing a face shield alone has not been proven to offer the same protection as a mask and should either be combined with a mask or totally left to healthcare providers, for whom they were actually intended.”