FAAN Clears Air On Patience Jonathan's Airport Saga

We Only Prevented Her Car From Tarmac and Not VIP Access"

The management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria as denied the reports flying around that, the person of the immediate past First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was barred from the VIP Lounge of Port-Harcourt airport saying it's not possible for the former First Lady to be treated as such.

A press statement issued by FAAN's spokesperson spokesperson, Yakubu Datti reads as follows:
The attention of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has been drawn
to a misleading and mischievous news story in the social media, alleging
that the wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan was denied
access to the VIP lounge at the Port Harcourt International Airport
yesterday, July 27, 2015.

We wish to state that no such thing happened as Dame Jonathan, like other
family members of former Presidents and other designated principal officers
of Government are officially entitled to the usage of airport VIP and
Protocol lounges under the management of the Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria.

The Authority holds the former First Lady in high esteem, being the wife of
our former President and therefore, could not have done anything that would
suggest disrespect for her person.

The former First Lady’s convoy was only denied access to the foot of the
aircraft during boarding formalities at the airport in line with
international aviation best practices, strictly for safety and reasons as
prescribed by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) Our security
officials explained this fact to details of the former First Lady.

We wish to recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR in his
recent trips from the same airport, has had to walk to the aircraft from
the protocol lounge, in recognition of this ICAO regulation