Yuletide: Exodus as Lagosians move homeward
By Jude Njoku & Bose Adebayo
Thursday, December 24, 2009
WITH just a day to Christmas, unarguably, the most popular and widely celebrated Christian feast, the various bus terminals and markets in the city are now a beehive of activities as those intending to travel besiege the terminals to board vehicles to the hinterlands while those who intend to stay back, engage in last minute shopping to purchase what they need for the yuletide.

[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2009/dec/24/vanguard/images/traveleast[1].jpg[/img]
Luxury buses at Alafia, Orile in Lagos



http://odili.net/news/source/2009/dec/24/300.html


Indeed, the great excitement in the air coupled with the spending spree, downplay the crushing economic meltdown in the country.

Vanguard Metro visited some luxury bus terminals and the scene was that of joyous travellers who want to join their kith and kin in the villages to celebrate the Christmas and New Year. Mrs. Lois Idimo who travelled with her children ahead of her husband told Vanguard Metro that they paid N5,050 per seat because they were anxious to be in the village for the Christmas. Mrs. Idimo who hails from Imo State, said that besides the joy of re-uniting with loved ones whom she had not seen for some years now, there are some important family matters to discuss.

A lot of measures were put in place at the major bus terminals to give them a new look befitting the mood of the season. Vanguard Metro observed that parks at Ketu/Ojota, Jibowu/Yaba, Oshodi, Ikotun, Obalende, Mile Two, Masa Masa, Ojodu Berger wore new looks.

Transporters like GUO, C N Okolie, E. Ekezon, ABC, New Tarzan, Young Shall Grow, Ekene Dili Chukwu, Ekwos, God is Good, Sun Quick, Ocheson, Trackers, Imo Transport Company (ITC) and the Anambra Integrated Development Strategies (ANIDS) among others tried to outdo one another by offering improved services to commuters. Unlike what obtained in previous years, transport fares this time around were not uniform.

While Chisco and C N Okolie charged N5,050 per trip to the eastern part of the country on Tuesday, GUO charged its passengers N4,500. The small buses charged higher fares depending on whether the vehicle is air-conditioned or not. A trip to Benin from Mile Two cost N2,550 on Tuesday.

But despite the hike, most Lagosians who were determined to spend the holidays in their home towns, remained unperturbed. The luxury drivers justified the hike. According to them, they always come back to Lagos with their buses empty. “What we are doing is turn back,” one of them who did not disclose his name said.

The fares are expected to rise further today when most Lagosians, particularly civil servants would travel. Most companies have already closed for the year, thus giving their workers the leverage to travel for the festivities. Even the popular Auto Spare Parts Market (ASPMDA) located at the Lagos International Trade complex would be closed to customers from today. The market will only reopen in the first week of January.

Defied Meltdown

While many have defied the spate of economic meltdown, fuel scarcity and bad the Benin -Ore Road to travel to the hinterlands, those who want to spend the Christmas in Lagos besieged the markets to make last minute purchases. A foodstuffs dealer at the Iddo market, Mr. Columbus Akujobi noted that although sales cannot be compared with what obtained in the market by this time last year, business has not been bad at all. Mr. Akujobi who sells grains explained that the price of rice and similar commodities only increased marginally because importers, in anticipation of the season, flooded the market with the commodity.

“Great Nigeria House” located in the heart of the Lagos Central Business District (CBD) was a no-go-area due to the human traffic into the high-rise complex where people sell different grades of shoes. The same scenario applies to the nearby Balogun, Idumota, Mandillas, Oke-Arin, Oluwole and Ereko. A young man who sells men’s wears near Mandillas, told Vanguard Metro that business was dull until the last one week when customers stormed the market to buy clothes for themselves and members of their family.

A trader who gave his name as Tony said he does not intend to travel for the yuletide. “I am a native of Enugu State but I don’t pray to travel on that bad Benin -Ore road for now ’Thank God for cell phones and e-banking which have made it easier for us to contact our relations.

My business suffered a recession in the last two weeks and I ought to have travelled home for relaxation but when I considered the state of the road, I decided to stay back. I am convinced that a lot of people will sleep on the road and celebrate the Christmas along the highway,” he said.

and someone said Igbos were not going home?

aloy nwanne m kedu kwanu?

0hsisi:

aloy nwanne m kedu kwanu?

A dimma.

Aloy.Emeka:

A dimma.

Obere Igbo I maghi ede. - O di mma.

Na so so English you sabi, local language u no sabi. LMAO!

Wish them all safe trip home.

It should be ''A'dim mma'' (I am ok) or ''O'di mma'' (it is ok)

AloyEmeka is a complete Igbo onukwu

Desert ke? when they are still coming back next week.How i wish?.Anyway i wish all of una api xmas!

Me too i'm on my way lol, in a private car sha thank God. And to think that its the police that are causing unecessary hold-up, just to collect christmas tips <.

This is the time when policemen build houses & buy cars.

I didn't know police people are this rich, damn. I have this friend whose sister is a police woman, girl got too much money. Imagine she even bought a car for herself, brand new honda babyboy. If u ask her she will say its her brother that sent it.

See awon boiz, they would be sorely missed in Yaba market and on the streets of lagos hustling hustling. Anyways safe journey to alaigbo

Recession or no recession,christmas holiday is a ritual an Igbo man must continue to observe. Its  even safer because of the uncertainty beclouding the political landscape of the nation. We don't know what the military and politricktians have in store for us during this yuletide.

Igbo kwenu!
Igbo kwenu!!
Igbo kwezuo nuuooo!!!

Onye o bula ga noyere umunna ya. O bu ncheta omumu Jesu Christi.  Ihe ziri ezi ka o bu

Olisa bi na-elu noyere anyi nile.Amen.

0hsisi:

and someone said Igbos were not going home?

Igbo and home, those two are inseperable. they too like home.
Safe trip to them all.

0hsisi:

and someone said Igbos were not going home?

Who said so?.
Meanwhile merry Christmas to Igbo wu Igbo and Igbo associates on nairaland.

abomination! chei emeka, so this is how bad it is?? no u had to have done that on purpose! mba nu. what is adinma? lol i dont blame you. you better change that name. it doesn't suit u. see ur mouth and adinma. hiss. lol

Unu hapu emeka
a muru ya n'ugwu awusa

0hsisi:

Unu hapu emeka
a muru ya n'ugwu awusa

Biko, gwa Emeka ka odegharia ya (modify it).

Wetin na?. I no speak the igbo very well?

As if they will not run back to Lagos

^^^^^^^

Did anyone tell you they are running from Lagos? Ode buruku wey no know wetin be holiday

They are partaking in the annual migration(like the Wildebeast of East African plains). The return journey will be in few weeks before the erosion
swallow them up. Ode omo of Abakaliki.

^^^^^
Just like flooding and coastal erosion will soon swallow you. Olori ibu

Una don comot finish from your God forsaken land. Why? Erosion na terrible thing. Sorry o. Suffer head. Omo masanfani.

^^^^^^
We go lead you for your land. 70% of Lagos is Igbo. Yoruba boys are working as goods lifters for ordinary Igbo traders. You be omo odo for your own land. Jealous goat.

Soldier go, soldier come.

mekusxxx:

^^^^^^
We go lead you for your land. 70% of Lagos is Igbo. Yoruba boys are working as goods lifters for ordinary Igbo traders. You be omo odo for your own land. Jealous goat.

kai you hit d tail in d head, those yoruba touts are just too irritating, lack to work nd really to extort from hard working igbo people, just too annoying, all they say is "give us our money"in their language, something it buffled me the money they are refering to.

yorke:

kai you hit d tail in d head, those yoruba touts are just too irritating, lack to work nd really to extort from hard working igbo people, just too annoying, all they  say is "give us our money"in their language, something it buffled me the money they are refering to.

Yes because there are no igbo 'give me your money' fellas.

Keep on dreaming(70%) one day u go wake from your" kai kai" induced stupor and realize you are back to square one. Ppl are extorting
money from you and u are powerless to do anything. You people are just powerless, vision less and just plain noise makers. Abeg tell me for
how many years e take una to take over Lagos? 40 yrs? 60 Yrs? carry go. Remmember what happen last time.

Vallo57:

Keep on dreaming(70%) one day u go wake from your" kai kai" induced stupor and realize you are back to square one. Ppl are extorting
money from you and u are powerless to do anything. You people are just powerless, vision less and just plain noise makers. Abeg tell me for
how many years e take una to take over Lagos? 40 yrs? 60 Yrs? carry go. Remmember what happen last time.

You will look for an Igbo man's house to take until you die. This is 2009 and not 1960. You are stuck with stealing Igbo property. This time the story will be different as the war will be fought and won in Lagos.

Aloy.Emeka:

A dimma.

saintneo:

Obere Igbo I maghi ede. - O di mma.

Na so so English you sabi, local language u no sabi. LMAO!

Further evidence that Aloy Emeka is Fumi masquerading as an Igbo man.

You must think War is solution to everything? Let me re iterate. U are vision less, powerless and mere noise maker. Ppl are busy positioning, forming
alliances. U and your ilk are busy making noise on the internet. Nna bros. continue. My "Jamrock" brother have a saying " An army of Lion led by
a Sheep will always be defeated by an army Sheep led by a Lion". Enough said. Peace Bro.