Concentrating on my baggage problem report, I overhead not one, not two but multiple lined-up unhappy complainants at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) baggage complaints office last Saturday morning.
These individuals were visibly angry and swearing bitterly about their tampered-with unaccompanied bags that had arrived days earlier.
They had come in that early Saturday morning to take possession of their unaccompanied items having received promptings that their bags were finally in.
Their shouts and outpour of grievances were so loud, that one could not avoid eavesdropping.
The signals I got therefore were that all was not well at the storage centre where passenger’s unaccompanied bags and other belongings were kept on arrival at the KIA for reclaiming.
Complaints
My bag did not arrive that Saturday morning with the flight so I had gone to this office near the baggage claims area to lodge a complaint and complete the necessary forms for tracking.
While there, these unhappy persons came in with their tampered bags to lodge complaints.
The first man to be attended to had opened his bag and realised the lock had been broken, as he unzipped the bag, he found some empty carrier bags which he had originally used to wrap some items during packing.
It was obvious that someone had entered the bag and taken some items there.
While on it, another person came in with a hard case suitcase whose padlock had also been broken.
He had come complaining of stolen items from his bag. I could count at least three other persons, including a lady who was in line with complaints of tampering.
As I was waiting for the officer on duty to print out my complaint form, I observed a real tussle of dissatisfied customers unfolding. The question that ran through my mind was: where is the Ghana Airports Company (GAC) in all that was going on, that is, the complaints of thievery?
I said the GAC because the supposed thievery was happening on their premises and nowhere else.
The entire KIA and for that matter, all the other airports in the country are under their administration.
These are high-security areas and yet from what one observes, there are too many people, some attired and some not, who come and go in the area.
Staff
Yes, they may be staff of the company, but do we really need that number mingling with passengers at the baggage claims area when after all, baggage trolleys are freely provided for passenger use?