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Airport Wahala: video.When are we going to be organised?
The new Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Departure Hall looks very beautiful, and without mincing words, a lot has been spent by the Nigerian Government to achieve this.
Visiting the new departure hall for the first time, you will definitely lose your way. Losing your way becomes an opportunity for some groups to make money. Once you go off course, all these stage-managed “Good Samaritans” will surface, and by the end of the encounter, you may spend anywhere between 3,000 and 10,000 Naira.
At times, you might even face delays if you are not prepared to “play ball” with these unregistered officers.
This kind of activity is prevalent at all our airports, both local and international, especially in Lagos and Abuja.
How do these people gain access to the departure hall when passengers’ family members are barred from entering the departure and arrival areas? Could it be because we lack organisation, or because money has exchanged hands?
I wonder why this type of behaviour is not seen at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, which is almost ten times the size of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
At Charles de Gaulle, all uniformed personnel are available to assist you with love and a smile at no cost. The information they provide is easily accessible on their phones. Just ask a question, and they will scan your boarding pass and guide you courteously.
My question is: are the Nigerian airport authorities aware of these embarrassing activities? If you try to show this group of people that you know where you are going, the officials will make life difficult for you.
In the past, I often thought that white people were more organised than black people. But these days, many airport officials in Europe and America are cultured black men and women. I use the word “cultured” because they understand that the law of the land must be obeyed, and they know there are consequences for disobedience.
This attitude is not limited to our airports alone. It is the same at the Federal and State Inland Revenue offices, and it’s the same culture at the railway stations.
Who is going to change us? Or when are we going to change?
Let our construction work please.
God bless Nigeria.