THE obvious laxity threatening safety at the Murtala Muhammed International airport has continued to attract criticisms amongst the key players across the sector.
According to the key players, there is the urgent need for the govern-ment, through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to block such laxity in view of the danger it poses to the airport as it may cause security crisis.
The porous nature of the Lagos airport has been traced to its unlimited opening to the questionable activities within which has become a source of worry to many airport users.
Besides the physical threats, fear is being raised that some undesirable elements with ulterior motives may use the lacuna created by the laxity to unleash havoc.
Speaking to Nigerian Tribune, one-time Managing Director of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), Alhaji Oluropo Owolabi cited such porous areas to include: the cargo axis of the international airport where tanker lorries have turned to their abode unchallenged.
Besides carrying out dangerous activities that could set the airport on fire following the highly inflammable products they carry, Owolabi equally called the attention of the authorities to the proximity of the porous cargo area to the fuel hydrant site at the same axis.
Owolabi recalled how the accident involving the Associated airline aircraft conveying the corpse of the late Governor Olasegun Agagu of Ondo State which crashed just a stone throw from the fuel hydrant if it had crashed into the area occupied by the fuel tankers.
The former SAHCO Chief also identified the Oshodi/Ajao/airport link road that has been taken over by commercial buses which may hinder any safety process in times of emergencies following reckless manner they use their buses to block the airport road.
Owolabi also raise the alarm over the reckless springing up of structures which add no value to the air-port, except devaluing it.
He took a swipe at the immediate past minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika for giving loose approval for the erecting of too many build-ings, many of which have no well spelt out functions within the air-port.
According to Owolabi: “Those crowd should be reduced and the buildings should be reviewed. They have no value and Molue must not be allowed into the airport.” He however, called on the minister of aviation and aerospace develop-ment’ Mr Festus Keyamo to review the presence of the too many structures before the number one gateway airport is turned to a Molue park.
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