By Olayinka Oyegbile
When you go on a road trip, the trip itself becomes part of the story – Steve Rushin
When the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) decided to take its 20th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State from November 6-10, 2024, I saw it as another opportunity for me to renew my ‘love at first sight’ with the state. I had in March 2023 in company with my friend Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi and three others visited the state. It was my first. However, it was not the first for Akinbode, a veteran of the Niger Delta region. He had decided then that we should make the journey by road and I had no objection. I am a lover of road travels because I strongly believe it offers you the best opportunity to meet the real people and see the beautiful landscape that the Almighty has blessed this country with.
So, when the opportunity came again with ANEC 2024, I knew I was in for another exciting experience of the Niger Delta. On this second visit, I had looked forward to another helluva experience. I had ahead of the trip linked up with some of my friends in Yenagoa to give them the heads start that I was on my way to drink once again out of the hospitality of the of the state that goes with the sobriquet “The Glory of All Lands.”
I had planned to make the return journey this time by air. However, because of the current state of the economy, there was nothing I could do since the air fare a few weeks to the D-Day had skyrocketed. I then contacted a few colleagues that we should go by road. A few expressed fears over the insecurity across the nation and also about the bad state of our roads. Well, after lots of back and forth, I was able to get some who were ready to go with me to explore the road to Yenagoa.
When about 20 months ago I travelled this route, I knew about the treacherous nature of the roads and so was well prepared for it. In choosing a vehicle to go with I decided, since I was the coordinator, that we should travel with one of the motor companies that ply that route that I know has a good reputation and fine customer service records. On the day of the trip, and going by my experience that it is long trip, I went to my bookshelf to hunt for a fairly big book that I know will take me some time to finish reading to and fro.
Since it was an editors’ conference, what better book to take along but the 628-page book by Mike Awoyinfa and Dimba Igwe titled: 50 World Editors: Conversations with Journalism Masters on Trends and Best Practices. I have had this book on my shelf for years and had been reading it snippets especially since I took on the new role of teaching upcoming journalists courses in journalism after my many years in the newsroom. It was this book that took away the pain, tears and longevity of travelling along what has become some of our nation’s shame that we cannot even build simple motorable roads yet we drive some of the most exotic vehicles ever manufactured anywhere in the world! Thanks to the duo of one of our industry’s best partners for keeping me company. I promise to write more about this masterly book soon.
Now back to the trip: Of course, the journey outward Lagos from the bus park was smooth except for the poor nature of the inner roads in the city. However, immediately we accessed the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway it became smoother. This was so until we got to the Sagamu interchange where we headed towards Ore (Remember Oleku Ija Ore?). The road to hell would surely be better than this.
The journey from Sagamu to Ore was hair raising as the vehicle was jumping from one pothole to crater holes and to boulder sized pits right in the middle of what is supposed to be an expressway! You come to the conclusion that in Nigeria an expressway must mean another thing. It was this kind of nerve-wracking experience till you get to some part of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State with some sense of relieve only to get again into the hell raising and nerve jerking experiences with trucks, trailers, cars, SUVs and what have you travelling in top speed face one another. At some point you asked yourself whether it was worth the trouble to have decided to attend the ANEC when you couldn’t raise enough money to fly?
Awoyinfa and Igwe book that you took along to relieve the stress of the long journey had to be abandoned to become a co-driver since you’re sitting in front to assist the driver in watching the road and ensure you arrive your destination in one piece! On getting to Edo State, you then knew that Nigeria is gradually falling into a failed state. You ask yourself why do our leaders take delight in pursuing grandiose projects when simple low hanging fruits are ignored? Many have asked why embark on a so-called high-flying Lagos Coastal Road when you have failed to maintain existing roads? Or why not put these other roads in shape first before seeking glory in vanity and fanciful coastal road that would end up with the same fate with these other neglected roads? But you can never tell with our leaders, sorry, rulers!
The journey was prolonged apart from the bad state of the roads with the numerous police/security checkpoints that are merely cash or extortion points. Almost all of the vehicles stopped were never searched except if the driver failed to ‘cooperate’ by dropping a few naira notes. So, what are the road barriers for but just to slow down vehicular traffic and extort travellers. Any wonder why foodstuff and other things are expensive?
If wish were horses—Is it possible that one day we ask our rulers to abandon their aircrafts and travel by road even in their expensive and highly padded vehicles and see how we the lesser mortals travel and live in this country? Perhaps this would for once wake them up to the reality of life when a journey that should ordinarily take you five hours takes you the whole day after which when you get to your destination you become almost useless for another 24 hours.
Well, the stress of travelling was assuaged by “The Glory of All Lands”, thank you Bayelsa for being such a hospitable host!
