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Nigeria: Faan, Rectify the New Mmia Park
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This Day (Lagos)
COLUMN
14 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Femi Akarakiri
Lagos
I came into the country on Friday 2, 2008 and all was relatively well until one got out of the terminal building at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Relatively in that even though there was a Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) failure in the course of the luggage pick up from the carrousel, we were appreciative of the very short time it took the airport generators to restore power and saving us unknown hours before PHCN would have become benevolent again.
However, things were different going towards the new car park. I understand the car park was "completed" less than six months ago, but from the look of things the design did not put into consideration the comfort of the travelers. Why would interlocking blocks be the preferred means of paving the place when it was obvious trolleys were going to be pushed on the ground? Would it not have been better to use asphalt for some smooth push and less noise from the trolleys? And if it must be blocks, was there no standard for evenness or level-ness of the ground? Or was the thought only behind making a place for cars to ride and to hell with the traveling passengers' comfort?
I will like to draw your attention to the pathway to the car park. On the said day at about 8 pm, the way was virtually taken over by the Mallams selling their wares on the floor, a Yourba woman selling food and some beggars cornering some section for their use. All these despite the volume of traffic to and from the parking area. It became difficult to push the trolleys along easily because these traders and beggars virtually reduced the already narrow pathway by half. A Mallam that was asked to move his wares from the floor so a woman could push her baby through rebuffed the plea. Yet in the same airport there are very eager wardens abusing and clamping vehicles that are dropping passengers.
On this same Friday, there was a downpour that exposed the ways and manners the resources of the country are being wastefully spent on shoddy jobs. All along the car park, the roofing supposedly completed six months ago was dropping water like bathroom shower along its entire length. Who supervised this kind of job, and who approved or issued the certificate of completion? Is there a clause for minimum guaranty period for the job? Can we still get the contractor to come and rectify this shoddy job at his/her own expense? Is there a way to ensure this type of contractor does not get a contract again from FAAN? Is there a feedback system within government so he/she does not get job again for a long time?
How could a road constructed in six months be in such a terrible state? Why was no plan made for drainage in the entire car park, or we assume the water will percolate through the spaces between the blocks? Was there a standard that was to be met in the course of constructing the road leading out of the car park?
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I will appreciate if you can help answer some of these questions as it worries many of us that we talk about moving the country forward yet all we see is shoddiness in the execution of many well-intentioned schemes. MMA is the gateway to the country and your effort towards making this a much more welcoming environment to travelers will be appreciated. I believe you travel and observe how things are done in other places, how could we have therefore accepted cheap services in return for our money?
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