13th June, 2011
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has disclosed that the reason the water main at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, collapsed last week, causing water taps to run dry at the country’s gateway, is because it was built in 1978 and was not serviced or changed for 33 years.
FAAN was reacting to a story published in P.M.NEWS on Friday 10 June which described the agony air travellers went through at the country’s busiest airport on 8 and 9 June after the water main collapsed in the evening of 7 June.
FAAN in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Akin Olukunle, while extending the management’s apologies to Nigerians, explained that a burst in the 200mm water main was traced to fatigue and pressure of the slumping pipe.
“The existing copper-cast water main and network were installed in 1978. At over 32 years old, they have outlived their life-cycle.
“Being the only vehicle for water transportation to the international terminal and with a delivery rate of 200m3/hr under a pressure of six bars, it would have been impossible to carry out any maintenance/repair without having to shut the pumps.
“While the repair/replacement lasted, a number of water tankers were deployed at strategic locations of the terminal to minimise the temporary hardship experienced by passengers and other airport users. The Authority regrets any inconveniences caused by the unfortunate incident,†Olukunle said.
He said that the Water Sewage Department has fixed the problem, thereby restoring normalcy to water supply at the terminal.
Olukunle said that the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun, who has headed the agency since November 2008, is working on infrastructure development of many of the 21 airports under its management.
P.M.NEWS investigations had revealed that since Tuesday 7 June when the central water supply system broke down at Nigeria’s busiest airport, convenience rooms in the facility were filled with human waste and the entire terminal building covered with awful stench.
While most passengers avoided the airport’s toilets, those who were pressed by the call of nature, made use of table water and came along with their tissue paper.
A female traveller and wife of a Nigerian serving Senator almost collapsed in the toilets when she came face to face with a heap of excreta and assailed by heavy stench.
—Simon Ateba