Users of the Ajao Estate/Murtala Mohammed Airport road, in Lagos, on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the state of the road and asked that it be expanded quickly.
Sections of the road are submerged by flood water when it rains, just as it happened on Tuesday morning. The road, which has no provision for sidewalk, has degenerated in recent times, making it difficult for pedestrians to use, especially whenever it rains heavily, and causing traffic congestion almost on a daily basis.
“Sometimes I wonder why we call this airport an international airport,” said Ishola Badmus, a clearing agent at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO).
“Look at how the whole place is flooded just because of only two days rain which wasn’t even severe,” said Mr. Badmus.
He added that the road is due for expansion, stressing that the companies around the airport are expected to support in the upgrading of the roads if the government finds it tough to fix.
“All these oil firms whose trucks ply this road, and companies at this airport should come together and assist in the repair of this road, notwithstanding whether they pay tax or not,” he said. “The expansion of this road will help decongest the heavy traffic situation we experience here every evening when trying to go home.”
Anozie Chigozie, a regular user of the road, stated that the area is irritating whenever there is rainfall.
“The parks and roads at this international airport do not speak well of our country,” he said. “What impression does it leave in the mind of a foreigner about Nigeria?”
Mr. Chigozie argued that though many roads in the country are not in the best of shape, the roads leading to an international airport are not supposed to be “this awful”.
“Nigerians may bear the appalling state of our roads, but we should not also allow our guests to suffer the plight before they get to their destinations,” he said.
To Franca Akpan, the sidewalk for pedestrians on the road is her concern.
“Just this slight showers of rain has made this place swampy that one has to tip-toe before you can move from one point to the other on what is called an international airport road,” she said.
“Fashola (the Lagos State governor) builds roads and provides spaces for people who don’t have cars to walk on, but the people that constructed this tight road did not provide any of such.”
She requested that proper sidewalk be constructed on the road.
FAAN reacts
Onyekwere Nnaekpe, Deputy General Manager, Public Affairs, at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed that the issue regarding the fixing of the road is beyond the powers of the authority.
“Here in FAAN, we have a lot on our hands that need finance,” he said. “That road is beyond our powers for now.”
It would be recalled that the Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, in July said that the Lagos State government, in collaboration with the Federal Government, would see to the expansion of the road. However, nothing has been heard about the reported expansion since then.
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