Passengers using the Nnamdi International Airport, Abuja on Friday, complained that there was no water for use in the toilets of the airport.
They also confirmed that they resulted in buying bottled water to use in toilets.
Some of the passengers who spoke exclusively to ASHENEWS said even staff working in the toilets confirmed that the problem had existed for a long time. .
A passenger, Muhammad Dan Ige told ASHENEWS that he and many other passengers were forced by the circumstances, to buy bottled water at N300 to use in the toilets.
“It is embarrassing that an International Airport like this in the Federal Capital of a country like Nigeria, does not have water in its toilets for use by its passengers.
“I had to buy a bottle of water for N300 to be able to use the toilet. Imaging a passenger wants to excrete, how many bottles of water would he buy? This is entirely embarrassing. This is an Airport that receives international passengers on hourly basis. What image have we created for the country by this attitude of negligence?” Dan Ige queried.
Another passenger, Faruk Shehu who also spoke with ASHENEWS, corroborated Dan Ige’s position, saying he has never been so embarrassed by the handlers of the Airport, like he was today (Friday).
According to him, “All passengers who had cause to use the toilets were completely embarrassed by a situation where they could not have water to use in the toilets.
“We are talking about a country like Nigeria. Why should an Airport depend on water board for water supply. It’s embarrassing; it’s disgusting,” he retorted.
Two of the cleaners at the airport, who spoke to ASHENEWS on strict condition of anonymity said, “It has been a long time problem. Cleaners have been finding it difficult to work under the condition but since this is our work, we have to continue doing it this hard way until management intervenes.”
However, when ASHENEWS contacted the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu on phone, she confirmed that though it is the problem with water board, FAAN had made alternative arrangements for water in the toilets.
“We are having issues of water but it is water board issue. FAAN has made alternate arrangements. For passengers to say they are buying bottled water, honestly I wouldn’t want to believe that. Because I know that provision has been made to take care of passengers that are using the restrooms. We can’t have an airport and not have water. The water problem, according to them, have not been experienced in past 40 years.
“We have boreholes in all of our airports because of incidences, so we have alternate arrangements. The cleaners have been making sure they provide water in all of our terminals, I can assure you,” Yakubu explained.
