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That N100 trolley charge
(Vanguard Online)

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Adekunle Adekoya
IT is simply galling. But first, apologies to readers of this column over its non-appearance for some time; I assure you it is not dereliction of duty, but was occasioned by job dynamics. I remain yours in the unending quest for a good environment in Nigeria which can support a virile tourism industry.

As I was saying, it is simply galling, asking deplaning passengers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (and I guess, other FAAN-minded airports) to pay one hundred naira, or $1, before you can get a trolley! You cough out an additional N250 if you want the services of a “chauffeur” to help with the trolley.

It is simply the height of unfriendliness as far as airport services go, and for a country like Nigeria whose President is jetting worldwide to get debt relief and foreign investment, it is a disincentive.

All that talk about generating revenue so that the airport can depend less on government funds don't wash with me on this one; we all know how public funds are used in this country.

Now, a few things for clarity. I know that airports in other nations charge for trolley. In the US for instance, you pay $3 in Atlanta, and in Philadelphia, $5. In fact, at Heathrow in London, trolley plus porter attracts £7, but it’s optional, since that’s a chauffeur-driven ride. There are free trolleys for self-service.

I say it is uncharitable for FAAN to charge for trolleys because not too long ago, some public-spirited corporations here donated hundreds of trolleys to FAAN. What happened to them? How can you turn around to charge for donated items? It’s like (in US) being employed and still getting the “dole check”. It’s fraud because the donated trolleys, which are supposed to be free, are nowhere in sight, conveniently locked away so that concessionaires can make easy money as no further options are left. It’s cruel, insensitive and again emblematic of the way we treat ourselves in this country, leaders and followers alike. It’s time we changed and copy countries where things work.

Poor airport service still
Third week of last month I had cause to do what you might call a ping-pong flight to London. I got to the airport early in the day, about half past six for check-in formalities. The departures hall was hot; the air-conditioning was not on. In short order, after labouring with luggage, I started sweating, not unlike many other passengers, and was relieved only when the A/C system was put on. Poor service. Again, on arrival two days later, the story wasn’t different. The flight touched down about 4.20a.m. and as a Nigerian, an experience in embarrassment began for me as I surveyed the faces of foreigners with whom I had journeyed back home. At the baggage reclaim, light went on and off about six times, and again, the air-conditioning was not on; the place was steaming.

After retrieving my baggage, it was about 5.15a.m. when the PA system came on, announcing the arrival of my flight, and I had already claimed my baggage! Is this our idea of a friendly airport in the 21st century?

The airport road
I had written about the airport road in a past edition of this column, remarking that from whichever direction you approach the airport from, you would never have an easy time getting there, except, well, between midnight and 5.00a.m. In yet another edition, I reported that works had begun on clearing the embarrassment occasioned by misuse of the airport road shoulders by all manner of traders, ranging from car dealers to furniture makers, including vulcanizers, mechanics, and, well, paraga sellers. What is disappointing is that the good job begun seems to have stalled, for reasons best known to those who started it. It is disappointing to observe that those previously dislodged from the road shoulders have reclaimed their turf, and all elements of the ugliness are more or less back. When are we going to get things right here?

Also, when are we going to put a stop to the shenanigans of commercial bus drivers along the airport road? As I never tire to tell people, I believe the airport end of town, among others should be the showpiece of any functional city that makes efforts at being friendly. The airport end of town is desirably a sophisticated, clean, orderly part of town, where people comport themselves with catholic decorum to impress visitors.

But what do we have along the road? Danfo drivers use the road in the most maddening way, and at the junction where they u-turn back into town, a mammy market is developing with the typical characteristics of a motor park. If you dig down deep, someone is "collecting" dues from the traders at the roadside, while agberos already extort money there. A sense of shame should make us put an immediate end to this worrisome development.

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