Dear Editor,
ON Saturday, 1st July, 2017, I had to visit the Cheddi B. Jagan International Airport at Timehri to pick up my dear wife who was returning from overseas at 15:00 hrs. As usual, while travelling down, all appeared normal and quite well. When I was turning onto the airport road, I saw no signs or any form of guidance. However, I turned into the regular parking lot area to park, of course paying the fee of $500. Along with my son who had accompanied me to pick up his mother, we went into the airport and sat down in the arrivals’ waiting section. Looking at the screen, I did not see any notice or indication of the standardised flight schedule. The fee-collector at the parking lot said nothing, no staffer said anything. And so we were sitting and waiting and time was being wasted.

We then observed that there was still no heavy activity at the time the aircraft was expected to arrive. At about the same time, a young lady working in the airport snackette in the arrivals’ area came to me,greeted me and asked: “Don’t you know that the arrival area has moved?” I was taken by complete shock and hence the caption of this letter. I would like to ask several questions: is it that the administration is bereft of management techniques, procedures and systems? Couldn’t they think to put a guide or sign to show that the arrival area’s section was under construction? Was it not the right thing to put some arrows starting from the old arrival section to the new arrival section at the LaParkan bond area, so that no one was inconvenienced? Is it that they want to technically eat out the finances of the drivers so that more fees are incurred as time passes? Is this their strategy to enhance their financial embellishments?

As stated, there was no note or notices leading to the new arrival area. I met several persons and one individual actually said that he waited three (3) hours in the old waiting area until realising that something was wrong. People were severely frustrated and when I eventually travelled around, there was still no visible advisory post or sign advising persons how to find this new area and/or what was the purpose of it. Despite being in a state of bewilderment, I finally found the area at the back. When I got there, I was met with confusion and mayhem. It must be understood that I understand that when there is construction in progress, especially at an international airport, there will always be some level of inconvenience. The confusion was so intense that when the rain came down, they allowed people to enter the customs’ shed area where arriving passengers are supposed to exit. As soon as the rain stopped, everyone was instructed (including yours truly) to step out of this area into the hot sun.

Again, it is understood that the customs’ area must be kept under high security and therefore it is fair to suggest that persons should not be in there unauthorised. But are the contractors/administrators bereft of a certain level of managerial skills that they would inconvenience their customers? The customers are always the most important people and in this case, the passengers and the persons picking up those passengers are the customers of the airport. Therefore, basic amenities that are customer friendly should be established to give basic comfort, even with ongoing construction. If someone was pregnant or had a diabetic problem, not being forewarned that the area was under construction and with the intensity of the sun, they could have started collapsing like a flea on the ground. I started to snap a few pictures and shared my view with the people, and I could see the pain and harassment on their faces.

It is unfortunate that persons were not blaming the airport management team, but instead chose to call out H. E President David Arthur Granger and the Government. So people were cursing, fuming and misbehaving, attacking the government, which was completely unfair to the President and the Government. I think that the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson MP and some of his management personnel should visit these locations and offer recommendations so that the people are not treated as second-class citizens. People were tired standing on their legs, like me, who has a lower back issue, as there was no sitting area. Logically, all they had to do was to place two 20×20 tents in the new waiting area. This would not run the airport bankrupt and the money they are collecting fraudulently by having persons pay to park, knowing they would have to later park to the back. This money could have been used to place tents and chairs.

The many Chinese and local contractors who are working on this site could have also easily built some long old-fashioned benches with the understanding that it would be prioritised for persons who definitely needed this facility. It boggles the human comprehension and thought pattern of logic and rationality, when administrators cannot think of these petty things.
Additionally, when a certain lady wanted to use the washroom facility, she realised, not even that was provided. I presume that they did not think of installing two mobile washrooms or building a temporary septic tank with two stalls (just to purchase two toilet bowls and potable water) for male and female usage. This would have been so simple; please airport administration, use your brain matter. And meanwhile, the Government is being criticised without merit.

And as I would usually say: “I am a professional and I will always support and work with the Government of the day.” I am enclosing to the media some of the photographs that I took of the area, hoping that they would utilise them to show the trauma of the reality that was endured by many Guyanese at the airport. The parking lot is small, yes, but I believe that one of the many internal security officers could have functioned to assist drivers on how they should park, since I saw many vehicles blocked by others. If they are willing and otherwise need some advice from me or one of my officers, the training can be conducted as soon as possible – free of cost.

I wish for the administrators of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) for persons in the Government echelon who have their eyes on me and those who are trying to destroy me (I am smiling) to note that this is something for action. The people of this country are the bosses of this country and governments, ministers, Heads of Government agencies/institutions/corporations must never forget that you are the people’s servants. As usual, some get annoyed when I reiterate this point, not the President or the Prime Minister, certain middle boys get annoyed when I say these things. But as a man who loves his country, who loves his people, I am sending this message to the media. Thank you all and God Bless.

Regards
Roshan Khan (Snr)