…It’s a global challenge, SAHCOL boss
By UCHE USIM
Passengers on international flights have frowned at the incessant pilfering of their luggage in various airports across the country, laying the blame on airline ground handlers. The travellers, who lamented that the development has been on the upward trend for months running, called on the government to look into the ugly situation.
The two prominent ground handling firms accused of the anomaly are Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Aviance (nahcoaviance) as passengers believe they are the ones who handle checked-in bags and goods either on departure or arrival.
A passenger, Austin Jacobson, lamented that many passengers on a Tel Aviv-Lagos flight at the weekend lost lots of valuables as their bags were pilfered. Daily Sun also gathered that many of such complaints have been lodged at the Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for necessary action. However, in a sharp reaction to the development, the management of SAHCOL has absolved its ramp personnel over the menace of pilfering of passengers’ luggage.
The Managing Director of the ground handling company, Mr. Oluropo Owolabi, while briefing journalists Wednesday said its airside personnel are regularly trained to dissuade them from engaging in such criminal acts. He described pilfering as a major challenge confronting the global aviation industry, stressing that unpalatable consequences await any staff found culpable as the company has zero tolerance for it. Owolabi, however, explained that it is usually impossible for a passenger to determine the particular airport where his or her luggage was tampered with, stressing that as a General Manager of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited at the J. F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, in the United States of America (USA), there were incessant cases of pilfering until security surveillance cameras were installed to monitor activities at the airside.
“We all know that pilfering is a major challenge not just to the ground handlers, but also the airlines and other security agencies at the airports. It will be wrong for anybody to conclude that his luggage was tampered with in Nigeria. It might have happened from the originating country. “Our staff most importantly the new ones are given enough training to dissuade them from engaging in the act.
Apart from training, they are equally given enough monetary rewards to discourage them from taking part in the act and our clients have commended us for professional handling of their passengers’ luggage. I want to say it here that we will continue to do more,” he said As regards the multi-million naira warehouse of the company under construction, Owolabi said completion target of June 2013 would be met, adding that the project was 60 percent gone.
He noted that the warehouse, when operational, would be akin to what obtains in developed nations. On touting, the SAHCOL boss necessary measures have been put in place to eliminate touting within the warehouse when completed, stressing that the design of the project has insulated it from touting and other nefarious activities. Giving a recap of activities of the company in 2012, he said SAHCOL handled 14 airlines 90 percent of which were local carriers.
He identified the epileptic conveyor belts at the Murtala Mohammed International (MMIA), Lagos as one of the major challenges that confronted its operations in 2012, but commended the minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah for efforts put in place to address the situation.
It is a shame for a passenger of any flight to experience this kind of dirty act in Nigeria. Why can”t we learn from our colonial masters, where honesty is their watch word. It is unfortunate that people still engage themselves in petty acts capable of tarnishing the image of our dear country. Efforts should be made to forestall confidence in our aviation industry by ensuring that those who engage in fraudulent practices are rooted out.
We are good at defending ourselves in this country even when facts are laid on the table. Mr. Owolabi should wake up and get down to root of this embarrassing situation. He has the solution: CCTV. Point if correction: in Nigeria, a salary earner is never ok with what comes in at the end of the month. If he can get some extra cash every now and then, he will go for it.
the md of this company and the managers the get their own cut from the boys on the ground ..2 yrs ago it happened to me on arrival most of my valuables were gone.. nothing can be saidf and done about it even the customes were demanding money they still do it every day.. it will never stop
Why cannt..they install camera all..around the place. Without cctv these people..can nevet stop stealling psssagers stuffs.
the cameras will be made dysfunctional by the operators so that no data can be captured. Is this not Nigeria?? Until we implement a fast track judicial system that will make SAHCOL or NAHCO ultimately accountable for any such loss, the problem will persist. In Nigeria , technology will not work. not yet. so those workers will continue to have their way.
Many hungry lions are working at the Nigerian airports. Many of disgraceful begging they do in the open who is asking them any question. So those who work in the closet will equally meet up.
Shame to Mr. Owolabi. He seems to be filling a statement of defence in favour of his staffs knowning fully well that no matter how much they are paid, they cannot do without such attitude.
In many parts of the world, nobody tempers with your lugguages. Anything u sent to nigeria by air, sea, or road are not safe.
Stealing, cheating, 419 are all in our blood vien and cannot be washed out.