Experiences of the past week brought with them a more passionate desire for a new society. It often happens: the more frustrating the events and circumstances experienced, the more ardent the hope for true change, both in the lives of individuals as well as the society as a whole. Last week’s experiences ranged from attending a birthday party to picking up someone from the international airport in Lagos and crossing the border to Benin Republic – and they were accompanied in varying degrees with feelings of frustration.
It might not be proper, in reality, to describe what was felt at the birthday party as frustration; however, I must confess that while sitting there what came to my mind was a previously published article titled “Couldn’t we party more simply?” One should not be judgmental, and I sincerely hate to be; but I feel we must begin to seriously reconsider as a people the manner in which we spend even our privately owned money. The reality of our society demands it; indeed, it compels us to have a rethink. The fact that we are surrounded by abject poverty – and I say this advisedly, recognising the fact that anyone who is actually reading this article is very unlikely to be caught in the poverty being referred to – lays upon us the moral responsibility of living more simply. It is not right for seventy percent of the nation’s population to be unable to spend in maybe two weeks the amount of money used to cater to a single guest, and for one’s heart not to feel any tug of conscience. For sure, the person who is celebrating and thanking God for His blessings is not the one responsible for the pauperisation of the population; but does that then absolve us morally? If so, then why are Bill and Melinda Gates spending their time and money fighting polio in Africa? Are they the ones who inflicted that horrible disease on us? We have a moral responsibility, and we would do well for our souls, indeed for our society as a whole, if those who are rich and comfortable among us do not continue to flaunt our wealth in the face of such great need around us. I dream of a people that parties more simply.
The second issue, having to do with public infrastructure, can properly be termed frustration. Given the scandalous revelations in recent weeks of the amounts of money which individuals in the Jonathan administration are alleged to have siphoned from state coffers, my mind has been constantly imagining the infrastructural transformation that could have been in place now had those monies been utilised for the benefit of the society. Why, for example, is there no means of mass public transportation between the international and domestic airports in Lagos? How much would an air train spanning less than two kilometres cost? Of what benefit are our leaders’ trips to Frankfurt and New York if they do not return home and seek to put in place some of the services they enjoy at our expense while abroad? Why should passengers who arrive at the international wing not be able to step into a train and take their connecting flights from the domestic wing? Indeed, why must every single passenger arrive in individual vehicles? Is it not possible to have a couple of passenger drop-off points not far from the airports from where rapid transportation like an air train would convey them? How long do we have to wait before we witness such developments? I dream of a country with modern infrastructure.
The third issue is equally frustrating. Some decisions of those in government may cause great discomfort to citizens. Now, everybody recognises that the different governments in Lagos State have had significant success in transforming the megacity. Certainly, there is a lot that is working in Lagos; no doubt about it. However, for those who live in certain areas, much more could be done to alleviate the suffering imposed upon them by certain government decisions. An example is the horrendous traffic jams that occur daily along Abeokuta Expressway. At the turning off the expressway on to the overhead bridge that leads to Akowonjo, the Lagos State government decided to create a park for the BRT buses. Therefore, instead of commuters turning off the expressway and having a direct connection to the bridge, they are compelled to go under the bridge and turn off at Iyana Dopemu, making a much longer and more time-consuming journey. That extra loop imposed on commuters sometimes adds more than an hour to their journey. This situation has subsisted for years, and the people living in that area are right to wonder whether their government cares about their comfort and well-being. I dream of a government that responds speedily to fixing problems.
Finally, crossing the Seme border to Benin Republic was a nightmare. Actually, it is a nightmare only for those who have all their documents and choose to abide by the law. For travellers without documents, all you need is have the correct amount of money ready and you pass through the border in a breeze. If you want to see a place where confusion reigns, please visit that border. The entire place is an abandoned construction site, with a sign board saying “European Union” shamelessly displayed; the buildings have been under renovation for ages, and documents are being stamped inside dirty cabins; both the Nigerians and Beninois officers are incredibly corrupt and you are accosted by several of them and asked to show the same documents over and over again… I dream of a country that has order.
