“End The ‘Your Boys Are Here’ Culture – Senator Izunaso Tells Keyamo To Tame Airport Begging Scandal”

According to Ireporter Online, Senator Osita Izunaso, who represents Imo West in the National Assembly, has called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to address the persistent issue of airport officials soliciting money from travellers. The lawmaker made the appeal during an event tagged “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” where he described the practice as a national embarrassment that tarnishes Nigeria’s image before the international community.

Senator Izunaso commended Keyamo for the noticeable transformation in Nigeria’s airports but urged him to take firmer action against unprofessional behaviour by personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and other uniformed agencies.

“Honourable Minister, a lot has been said about your impressive reforms at the airport. When you arrive now, you can move freely with your luggage without stress — that is fantastic,” he remarked. “However, there is still the issue of personnel. You often hear them saying, ‘Your boys are here, Sir!’ or ‘We are greeting you, Sir!’ Such actions do not present a good image of our country.”

He added that these coded expressions and body language, which subtly demand tips, give foreigners a wrong impression of Nigerians. “Please tell them there will be no ‘Your boys or girls are here.’ We must end this culture of indirect begging, especially as Nigeria prepares to host major international events,” he emphasized.

Responding to the lawmaker’s comments, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, countered that the aviation sector had already witnessed notable improvement under Keyamo’s leadership. He said, “I just returned from South Africa through our international airport, and I can confirm that nobody said ‘Your boys are here’ to me. Nigeria is changing.”

Supporting this view, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, lauded Keyamo for transforming Nigeria’s air travel experience. “What we are witnessing in the Ministry of Aviation is truly unprecedented. The entry and exit points of our airports have been remarkably improved. Thank you, Mr. Festus Keyamo, for making Nigeria proud,” Idris stated.