President Umaru Yar�Adua has directed the Minister of State for Transportation in charge of Aviation, Mr. Felix Hyatt, to investigate reports of maltreatment of Nigerian passengers by foreign airlines.
The President, according to a source in the Presidency, was particularly miffed at an incident that took place on March 27, 2008, in which British Airways allegedly ordered over 100 Nigerians off its London�Lagos bound flight.
The passengers were reportedly protesting the brutal treatment of a Nigerian deportee aboard the flight.
The source said that Yar�Adua also directed the Aviation Minister to officially notify all foreign airlines operating in the country that the Federal Government would no longer tolerate the maltreatment of Nigerian passengers aboard their aircraft.
The source added that Yar�Adua expressed disgust at the nonchalant attitude of British Airways officials in response to the incident.
The President, it was learnt, also asked the minister to furnish him with a report of the development on the completion of the investigation.
The source explained that the President had so far not received any official report on the British Airways incident, and was only informed by reports in the media.
The source said, �The President is said to be concerned by the recent resurgence of complaints about the poor treatment, discrimination and downright abuse meted out to Nigerians by some foreign airlines operating in the country.
�The President has also directed the Minister to make it absolutely clear to all foreign airlines operating in Nigeria that under no circumstance will his administration tolerate the subjection of Nigerian passengers to less than acceptable standards of treatment.�
In another development, the President on Tuesday telephoned Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), in London to convey his personal best wishes to him on the occasion of his 70th birthday anniversary.