MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND WONTIN WONTIN SYNDROME.
The serene atmosphere of gate E9 at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam coupled with the cleanliness and the most colourful ambiance surrounding the KLM skyteam plane Litonysi Castle left me speechless on my recent journey to Nigeria.
This is a first class airport with all the comfort that enriches individual experiences. An architecture to western civilization and development, the human interraction and the welcoming attitude of the staff is beyond description, that I began to wonder what to expect on arrival in Lagos.
Note: I travel regularly to Nigeria at least twice a year, yet I do not seem to get over the culture shock.
My seven hours journey terminated at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos with a life changing experience. Welcome to the third world, the land of nothing works, unwelcoming staff and atmosphere of wontin wontin which is a description of the attitude exhibited by the custom and immigration officials at the airport looking for all kinds of abracadabraa to force you to give them bribe.
On approaching the airport, what is vividly visible is the darkness around the vicinity of the airport and the runway. Suddenly an aura of insecurity overwhelmed you, you began to soliloquize as to how those pilots were able to make a safe landing in this perilous clime................... oh God we landed safely.
Now is the time to disembark and the Nigeriana sufferring and smilling, rushing and pushing, 99standing 29sitting mentality rear its ugly head again, the heat, sweat and the odouriferous nature of the hallway is enough to make you vomit, it is indeed a public health harzard.
Here comes the immigration section and the wontin wontin attitude don start:
Immigration officer: Oga where is your passport
Nigeriana: This is it a Nigerian passport
Immigration Officer: where is the old passport
Nigeriana: I don't have it and I don't need it any more since I have a new passport
Immigration Officer: How long have you been out of the country?
Nigeriana: Oga stamp my passport and let me go
Immigration Officer: You don't have visa in this passport
Nigeriana: I don't need a visa as a Nigerian to come into the country
Immigration Officer: I mean the visa you used to travel out of the country
Nigeriana: After 25years...you are not serious please stamp my passport
While the interrogation was going on a colleague of the officer came forward and whisper something like give the officer something for the weekend, note that at this point other passengers were already agitated because of the delay.
The man in question finally gave the immigration officer something for the weekend and suddenly the atmosphere of wontin wontin disappeared immediately, the custom officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport do not fared better in this game of intimidation and corruption.
This article is an open invitation to Col. Hammeed Ali rtd and Martin Abeshi to do something urgently to sanitise their officers posted to the nations post card the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.
OTUNBA ADE ILEMOBADE is a philosopher
Twitter: @pearl2prince
This is a first class airport with all the comfort that enriches individual experiences. An architecture to western civilization and development, the human interraction and the welcoming attitude of the staff is beyond description, that I began to wonder what to expect on arrival in Lagos.
Note: I travel regularly to Nigeria at least twice a year, yet I do not seem to get over the culture shock.
My seven hours journey terminated at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos with a life changing experience. Welcome to the third world, the land of nothing works, unwelcoming staff and atmosphere of wontin wontin which is a description of the attitude exhibited by the custom and immigration officials at the airport looking for all kinds of abracadabraa to force you to give them bribe.
Now is the time to disembark and the Nigeriana sufferring and smilling, rushing and pushing, 99standing 29sitting mentality rear its ugly head again, the heat, sweat and the odouriferous nature of the hallway is enough to make you vomit, it is indeed a public health harzard.
Here comes the immigration section and the wontin wontin attitude don start:
Immigration officer: Oga where is your passport
Nigeriana: This is it a Nigerian passport
Immigration Officer: where is the old passport
Nigeriana: I don't have it and I don't need it any more since I have a new passport
Immigration Officer: How long have you been out of the country?
Nigeriana: Oga stamp my passport and let me go
Immigration Officer: You don't have visa in this passport
Nigeriana: I don't need a visa as a Nigerian to come into the country
Immigration Officer: I mean the visa you used to travel out of the country
Nigeriana: After 25years...you are not serious please stamp my passport
While the interrogation was going on a colleague of the officer came forward and whisper something like give the officer something for the weekend, note that at this point other passengers were already agitated because of the delay.
The man in question finally gave the immigration officer something for the weekend and suddenly the atmosphere of wontin wontin disappeared immediately, the custom officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport do not fared better in this game of intimidation and corruption.
This article is an open invitation to Col. Hammeed Ali rtd and Martin Abeshi to do something urgently to sanitise their officers posted to the nations post card the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.
OTUNBA ADE ILEMOBADE is a philosopher
Twitter: @pearl2prince
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