By LAWANI MIKAIRU

Reactions have started trailing the move by the Federal government to check the use of private jets in Nigeria.   Reacting to the government’s policy on the declaration of manifest by private jet operators, a former member of House of Representatives, Ibn Na’allah, who owns a private jet, said the new policy is too restrictive and International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, detests bureaucracy, which is detrimental to seamless air operation.

The Federal Government had said it is set to check the use of private jet by individuals and organisations in the country.   It said the current security situation in the country necessitated the move as these individuals and organisations have been abusing the use of these private jets.

This new position of government was made known in Lagos by the Coordinating Manager of Information and Communications for Aviation Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati. He said security operatives have disclosed that many wanted persons in Nigeria were smuggled out of the country with private jets and others sneaked into the country without check as many private jets take off from private facilities at the airports.

According to Dati, “Illegal consignments, including cash and personalities, who may constitute security threat to the country are airlifted daily in and out of the country with private jets.” He said pilots flying such jets must now declare the manifest of the aircraft. And that what government wants to do is to monitor the operations of unscheduled flights and the manifests of these flights because of the security situation in the country.