Adamawa gov, Fintiri accused of violating COVID-19 protocol at Port Harcourt airport

The governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has been accused of violating the protocol meant to checkmate the spread of Coronavirus disease at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which made the allegation on Thursday, said Mr Fintiri and his entourage refused temperature checks or being santitised by health official when arrived the oil rich city through an aircraft.

The allegation is coming a day after FAAN accused former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, of similar misconduct at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport at the weekend. The former governor has denied the wrongdoing, threatening legal action against a former Aviation Minister, who slammed him for the alleged violation.

“The Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby strongly condemns the conduct of the Governor of Adamawa state Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who arrived Port Harcourt international Airport aboard aircraft 5N-IZY, at 17:08 hrs on 14th July 2020, with 8 others, and who flagrantly refused to observe the Airport Security and Public Health protocols as directed by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on #COVID19 by refusing to have his temperature checked, or being sanitised by the health officials,” the Thursday statement read.

“His whole entourage of 8 did exactly as he did. The team that came to receive them drove right through the barricades up to the terminal building ignoring traffic and Aviation Security instructions.

“This irresponsible act endangers all other airport users, it is unacceptable, and as such it has also been duly escalated. FAAN hereby cautions all airport users, especially our esteemed VIPs , to please respect the Presidential directive by observing airport Security and Public Health travel protocols put in place to protect all air travellers against acts of unlawful interference, infection and the spread of the covid-19 pandemic,” it added.