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| Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka |
With an outlandish expenditure of N174bn, the
government had aimed to bring the nation’s airports at par with their
counterparts in the developed world, but passengers who use the busiest of the
facilities in Lagos are not impressed with the work done so far, Udeme Ekwere
writes.
Passengers who regularly use the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport in Lagos are not impressed with the state of facilities
at the nation’s gateway despite the multi-billion naira remodelling carried out
on the airport and others across the country.
The passengers are particularly not happy because
of the high level of discomfort they are experiencing at the edifice.
It was gathered that some of the new facilities
were no longer functioning properly, while others had falling into a state of
disrepair.
For instance, passengers complained that the
air-conditioning system at the arrival hall of the MMIA now worked abnormally,
and that visitors coming into the country were being confronted with
embarrassing heat at the lounge and up to the immigration point.
They also alleged that some parts of the roof
were leaking, especially whenever it rained.
The recently fixed toilets, the passengers
lamented, had become faulty as those, who wanted to make use of the
conveniences, were being confronted with unpleasant sights.
Some of the passengers, who spoke in separate
interviews with our correspondent, decried the failing facilities at the
airport, adding that it was too soon for it to be in a bad shape after the much
touted remodelling.
They said that having spent huge sums of tax
payers’ funds to restructure the airport, it should not be uncomfortable for
users.
A passenger, who just returned from Dubai, Mr.
Isaac Femina, said he was disappointed that some of the facilities at the
airport were returning to their old state.
He said, “I really don’t know why things do not
work well in this country. It has not been long since we were talking about the
huge amount of money spent on remodelling the airport; and now, you’ll notice
that some facilities are not in proper working order.
“For example, the walkway belt, the one that
propels you to move faster at the arrival lounge is not working anymore; if you
get on it now, it is as if you are just walking on the bare floor. This should
not be; it is too soon.”
Mr. Kunle Stephen, a businessman who shuttles
between Lagos and the United Kingdom, said apart from the fact that there were
some spots where the roof was leaking, the air-conditioning units around the
luggage area were not working well.
Stephen said, “It is quite unfortunate, because
you just see on paper that so much has been spent on repairs yet it doesn’t
seem like anything is working. Imagine the ACs that should be the first thing
that should work well are not. The other day, it was raining here in Nigeria
when we got in and some parts of the roof were leaking! To say the least, I was
embarrassed.
“To make matters worse, I came to Lagos with my
spouse sometime last month and she had to use the toilet on arrival. But she
ran out a few seconds later, saying she would manage till we get to town,
because the whole place was leaking and there was water on the floor; it is
really sad.”
Another passenger, Mrs. Toluwalase Jacob, said
that even though she was a little impressed by some of the noticeable changes
at the airport, she hoped the issue of the air-conditioning system would be
sorted out soon.
She said, “Well, I think there have been some
improvements with the work that has gone on here, because when I came in to
Nigeria from London late last year, the situation was really terrible.
“It seems a little better now, but I hope they
will look into the issue of the air-conditioning system so that the air will
not feel so polluted all the time.”
A top official of the Aviation ministry, who did
not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the
issue, said that it was not unusual for some of the infrastructure to wear out
after a while, because of continuous usage.
He said, “Of course, you can’t expect the
facilities to remain just the way they were because people are making use of
them every day, and you know that some people are not very careful in their
handling of public property.
“Also, it is important for you to know that the
work is not done yet at the airport; it is still ongoing; there are still a few
things that need to be put in place, and when it is done, I am sure that the
passengers and airport users will be more comfortable than they are at
present.”
Commenting on the development, the spokesperson,
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said some construction
work was still ongoing at the airport, which could have accounted for some of
the difficulties that passengers were experiencing at the moment.
He said that on completion, users of the airport
would not face as much inconvenience as they were currently encountering.
Dati said, “We are constructing the upper walkway
at the arrival hall and the leakage is due to the construction work at the
upper deck. When completed, the upper and lower decks will serve the arriving
and departing passengers, respectively.
“That way, arriving and departing passengers will
not meet as is presently the case. We apologise for the inconveniences this is
causing.”
Over N174bn has been spent by the Federal
Government on airport remodelling across the country in the last three years.
Following the removal of the former Minister of
Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, there had been fears that the projects, which she
initiated, would be abandoned due to inadequate funding.
However, the then Supervising Minister of
Aviation, Dr. Samuel Ortom, had assured Nigerians that the ministry was making
adequate efforts to ensure that the projects were completed within the
stipulated period.
He had said, “I want to assure Nigerians that the
projects will be completed. The projects are part of the aviation master plan
dully approved by the Federal Executive Council. Every single project that was
started in the phase one, two and three of the remodelling plan will be
completed. It is a matter of stepping up our revenue generation.
“We have massive opportunities and if we are able
to close the gap, we will generate enough revenue, and with additional funding
from the Federal Government, we will execute the projects. I want to allay the
fears of Nigerians that the projects won’t be abandoned. The debts and
commitment are there but you can see the massive work going on in the aviation
industry today.
“That justifies the N174bn debt. Remember that
Rome wasn’t built in a day and there is no way we think we can generate this
money within a week. But we intend not to embark on new projects so we can
concentrate our energies and ensure we complete the projects started by my
predecessor.”
Punch
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