June 24, 2010
I am sitting soberly in the departure lounge of the Frankfurt Airport waiting for my connecting flight back to Lagos. I have just had a couple of beers even though its 11AM local time. While at the bar I could see the runways clearly and could not but notice the number of Boeing 747’s belonging to Lufthansa Airways landing and taking off. Lots of planes were landing and taking off but I noticed the 747s because, well, their shape was different from others and before the Airbus A3480, the 747 was the biggest commercial jet flying.
I am sitting soberly in the departure lounge of the Frankfurt Airport waiting for my connecting flight back to Lagos. I have just had a couple of beers even though its 11AM local time. While at the bar I could see the runways clearly and could not but notice the number of Boeing 747’s belonging to Lufthansa Airways landing and taking off. Lots of planes were landing and taking off but I noticed the 747s because, well, their shape was different from others and before the Airbus A3480, the 747 was the biggest commercial jet flying.
I wonder to myself when I will see at least one Nigerian flagged 747 in any airport in the world. It seems unfair to be comparing Nigerian Aviation with that of Germany, after all Germany is the 4th biggest economy in the world, while Nigeria is, well, is….
I am on my way from Canada, where I had gone to attend the Rotary International Convention 2010and recall seeing two African carriers at the Airport in Montreal and also had same thoughts. Talking about the convention, it seemed to me that there were more participants from Nigeria than even Canada itself. I suspected that a lot of them had made huge sacrifices to be there and would probably drink “Garri” for some time after but that is a discussion for another day.
Just before leaving Montreal, I heard about an Earthquake in one of the adjoining cities and I thanked God for being born in an area where there are no earthquakes and other natural disasters. In fact I have a lot to be thankful about; I am one of the lucky few. I have a decent job, have two cars and stay in a decent house. However, I also have to generate my own electricity with two generators and an inverter to boot! Just two weeks ago I had cause to travel on the Benin – Sagamu expressway and since then my car has not been the same with all sorts of noises and this was a car a spent a small fortune fixing before travelling so it does not breakdown on the highway leaving me to the mercy of men of the underworld and security agents. Yes, security agents! I did not take a count of the number of check points on the highway but they must have been at least thirty yet we read in the papers daily about attacks on travelers on this same highway, leaves one thinking, doesn’t it?
On my departure from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos I almost died from hyperthermia as a result of the heat. This was not helped by the number of people inside the terminal majority of who had no business being there in the first case but who are able to get in because of the laxity and corruption of security agents. Thinking about the situation, I could not help thinking whether we are moving forward or backward in Nigeria. I first travelled out of the country in 1998 and since then I have travelled an average of twice yearly and have visited at least 20 countries. Regressively, things have gotten worse each time I travelled, whether it is the air conditioner or the conveyor belt ( I once spent three hours waiting for my baggage and since then I have sworn not to check in any luggage). Presidents have come and gone, Ministers have come and gone and the Airport remains a shame to Nigeria and its people. Someone please tell me, how much does a central air conditioning system cost even in a country where the cost of building a runway is twice the cost of building an airport in other climes!
Again, nothing shocks me again in this country. Talking about the state of the Benin – Sagamu expressway and many others around the country, monies have been budgeted ( some reports say N350 billion alone during the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo regime) and the state remains same and the dramatis personae are still with us calling the shots and making the decisions. Media reports said that the Mrs Allison-Madueke, when she newly became minister of works, cried when she visited the road. Some mischievous “amebos” say the reason for crying had nothing to do with the state of the road but her regret at how her predecessors had been making money and leaving her out of it otherwise where have the tears gotten us three years after!
Just another thought, I just read in the news that our Honourable Members of the House of Representatives were involved in fisticuffs over an allegation of corruption by some members leveled against the Speaker. A lot of people consider the whole episode a big shame but for me I have since come to the conclusion that most Nigerians (leaders and followers) do not know this word. I am not wont to take sides in issues like this, after all, was it not in the same house that members of the committee on power swore to die to ensure that people responsible for the waste in the power sector are prosecuted only to discover later that they themselves were also dipping their hangs in the till but since when did an allegation become guilt and why can’t the “honourables” allow the law to take its course instead of such odium!
Oh, Nigeria, why are we so cursed!
I wonder to myself when I will see at least one Nigerian flagged 747 in any airport in the world. It seems unfair to be comparing Nigerian Aviation with that of Germany, after all Germany is the 4th biggest economy in the world, while Nigeria is, well, is….
I am on my way from Canada, where I had gone to attend the Rotary International Convention 2010and recall seeing two African carriers at the Airport in Montreal and also had same thoughts. Talking about the convention, it seemed to me that there were more participants from Nigeria than even Canada itself. I suspected that a lot of them had made huge sacrifices to be there and would probably drink “Garri” for some time after but that is a discussion for another day.
Just before leaving Montreal, I heard about an Earthquake in one of the adjoining cities and I thanked God for being born in an area where there are no earthquakes and other natural disasters. In fact I have a lot to be thankful about; I am one of the lucky few. I have a decent job, have two cars and stay in a decent house. However, I also have to generate my own electricity with two generators and an inverter to boot! Just two weeks ago I had cause to travel on the Benin – Sagamu expressway and since then my car has not been the same with all sorts of noises and this was a car a spent a small fortune fixing before travelling so it does not breakdown on the highway leaving me to the mercy of men of the underworld and security agents. Yes, security agents! I did not take a count of the number of check points on the highway but they must have been at least thirty yet we read in the papers daily about attacks on travelers on this same highway, leaves one thinking, doesn’t it?
On my departure from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos I almost died from hyperthermia as a result of the heat. This was not helped by the number of people inside the terminal majority of who had no business being there in the first case but who are able to get in because of the laxity and corruption of security agents. Thinking about the situation, I could not help thinking whether we are moving forward or backward in Nigeria. I first travelled out of the country in 1998 and since then I have travelled an average of twice yearly and have visited at least 20 countries. Regressively, things have gotten worse each time I travelled, whether it is the air conditioner or the conveyor belt ( I once spent three hours waiting for my baggage and since then I have sworn not to check in any luggage). Presidents have come and gone, Ministers have come and gone and the Airport remains a shame to Nigeria and its people. Someone please tell me, how much does a central air conditioning system cost even in a country where the cost of building a runway is twice the cost of building an airport in other climes!
Again, nothing shocks me again in this country. Talking about the state of the Benin – Sagamu expressway and many others around the country, monies have been budgeted ( some reports say N350 billion alone during the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo regime) and the state remains same and the dramatis personae are still with us calling the shots and making the decisions. Media reports said that the Mrs Allison-Madueke, when she newly became minister of works, cried when she visited the road. Some mischievous “amebos” say the reason for crying had nothing to do with the state of the road but her regret at how her predecessors had been making money and leaving her out of it otherwise where have the tears gotten us three years after!
Just another thought, I just read in the news that our Honourable Members of the House of Representatives were involved in fisticuffs over an allegation of corruption by some members leveled against the Speaker. A lot of people consider the whole episode a big shame but for me I have since come to the conclusion that most Nigerians (leaders and followers) do not know this word. I am not wont to take sides in issues like this, after all, was it not in the same house that members of the committee on power swore to die to ensure that people responsible for the waste in the power sector are prosecuted only to discover later that they themselves were also dipping their hangs in the till but since when did an allegation become guilt and why can’t the “honourables” allow the law to take its course instead of such odium!
Oh, Nigeria, why are we so cursed!
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