The first thing that came to my mind few weeks back when I flew into Lagos was, “The lights are up!” Unlike in the past that approaching Lagos in the night reminded one that Africa was the Dark Continent, things have changed. I mentioned it to a friend of mine when I landed and he said that it was as a result of many things like; inverters, batteries, generators etc. I told him I did not care, so far as it was radiating like other cities around the world. That was the first good impression I had of Africa’s most populous city.
Next was the new style the millennia were now moving around with “taxify”, “Uber” etc. Still coming from an analogue region of the country, I asked my host to “taxify” me joor. “Fiam”! Just like that, the guy was in front of the house waiting for me.“Fiam”! “I rush enter ride”. Few seconds into the ride, I realized I wasn’t with my wallet and quickly got the driver to make a U turn back to the house. On a second thought I asked the guy, “what if I hadn’t realised my wallet wasn’t with me in time, could a money transfer have suffixed?” My guy shook his head in disagreement and shared his experience of a lady he carried from Ajah after lekki to Ajegunle. He said up till that day the lady had not paid him and would not even pick his calls anymore. See what one bad egg can cause all of us.
The ride was not so smooth as the whole of Festac, Badagry expressway seem to be a huge construction site. I wondered why the work is at such a slow pace and compared it to the lekki’s of this world. Is it because the area is inhabited by second class Nigerians’ that the “Eko Onibaje” slogan has not reached the place? If you drive through the lekki axis you will tend to think that Lagos is so beautiful. My brother, go to the hinterland to get the real feel of lagos, a huge construction site with lots of chaos. So much chaos that it was difficult for me to hitch a ride at Oshodi on my way back. But the interesting thing for me that day was when I exhibited my “olodoship” to the new way of commuting. First, the driver wanted to take me through a route I suspected was longer but I confronted him and asked him to take the one I was familiar with. When we got to my destination, the guy looked at his meter and lamented that it was not working since it indicated a lower than expected rate. In my old analogue mode my impression of the distance and time supported his theory. I felt sorry for him and paid him double the amount. When I told my host, he confirmed the rate the meter showed was indeed right, suggesting the guy would have been very happy with my willing gesture at overpayment.
However, when I reflected later on the incidence, it dawned on me why the rate was so low. The taxi app has made it possible for the drivers to find passengers back to back, hence eliminating the waiting or non productive time the regular taxi drivers waste finding new customers and even constituting nuisance on the road as they try to stop for potential passengers. With this technology, the guy drops me and picks up another guy immediately from the same location he dropped me. I heard they take home so much money everyday that most graduates and regular workers have now keyed into the lucrative business.Eko is really a trail blazer if only they will quickly complete that Marina to Badagry light rail line to save the children of God from their suffering.
As I left “Eko” the way I came, this time with first flight in the morning which happens to be the only one that anyone can vouch for its timely departure, a light drama ensured to complete my trip. When the flight attendant finished her announcement with her supposed “queens English”, an angry woman behind my seat took offence at the spoken word, complaining to her neighbour that the attendant’s use of English was wrong. The attendant had finished her broadcast with an advice that we “adhere to the pilots instructions”. I thought it would end there but I was wrong. The anger was so much that the woman beckoned on the air attendant as she made her way through the aisle. She told here straight to her face (I wasn’t looking oh, they were at my back, I was only there giggling to myself and my neighbours.) that her English was wrong. You cannot say “adhere to pilots instructions” we are not under the pilot’s tutelage.“Inukwa” (imagine oh) I said to myself, people get time oh. I couldn’t help but think that the woman was an “Ajagaraigwe” (busy body) like me.
And that was how my Lagos “waka” went down that weekend, never a dull moment in that town.
Obidike Peter wrote from www.peterobidike.com and p_obidike@yahoo.com
26th May 2018
