JOURNEY OF THE UNKNOWN

During a recent trip to Stade de I’Amitie in the heart of Cotonou, Benin Republic for a business meeting with an associate. My journey from the heart of Lagos mainland which traversed the west coast highway of Lagos-Seme ensured I was subjected to checks by different law enforcement agents ‘enforcing the law’ along the route with the help of speed breakers and military styled barriers to checkmate travellers on this road. At the Seme border office, I was advised to pay the sum of N1, 000 to have my (most recent) passport stamped although I have gone through this same exit point in the past using a previous passport which was attached and duly endorsed. The officer attending to me told me it’s the practice to collect such a sum for new passport (virgin) but since I couldn’t verify this officially I opted to pay but on condition that I got a receipt. They couldn’t offer a receipt and I wasn’t willing to pay but they eventually let me through at no cost.

Another hindrance encountered during exit process was the fact that health officers working in tandem with the immigration officers requested for yellow card (a document indicating that one is inoculated against the yellow fever). The previous certificate I had was declared expired and I was required to pay a fee of N4, 000 to acquire the new document and get it endorsed to enable me proceed with my journey. I informed the health officer in charge that since I wasn’t aware of this situation and needed to proceed just for a brief meeting across the border and back I needed a waiver for which he demanded N1, 000 graft. I declined providing it but promised to sort out my yellow card certificate when next I come around to which he acceded to my plea but not all travellers are this lucky. As most travellers without this document are made to pay N1, 000 to health officers at the border post before being allowed through without the yellow card document.

My experience in Cotonou was pleasant and after a successful business meeting I bid the city farewell and embarked on my return journey home to Lagos. Back at the entry border at Seme border post I encountered different sets of immigration officers from both Nigeria and Benin and they put me through the drill of paying for endorsing my passport on arrival and showcasing my yellow card document. I once again declined their request rather opting to get a receipt if I must do so, I paid the price for my effrontery by being delayed for close to an hour before I was stamped in and allowed to come back in. I observed that following the recent commissioning of the new border post complex a side entrance also exist for regular travellers and traders without documents but who commute within both countries on a daily basis but are made to part with token sum to facilitate their trans-border movement.

Having gone through this sordid experience, I felt I had gone through the worst the day could offer and sat back to enjoy the home bound journey minding less about the perilous potholes dotting the international highway. On approaching Agboju axis (an area close to the FESTAC town) one of the menaces currently bedevilling our socio-economic life style, the articulated trucks (trailers) conveying all manners of containers with goods caused a logjam at an intersection. Within a twinkle of an eye and as if working in unholy alliance with those drivers, miscreants (armed robbers) numbering five came out to attack a motorist riding an SUV. What struck me about this incident was the fact that the vehicle was directly behind mine and they couldn’t gain access to the occupants.

The black tinted SUV was armour protected (bullet proof) so they resorted to smashing the windows with boulders of stones and slammed metal rods at the window but the glasses resisted and never caved in despite the attacks. The occupant(s) remained inside and triggered a panic alarm while calling for help over a public address system (gadgets I am sure must have been fitted into the car for such purpose) as they were under attack. There was palpable tension in the air and rather than help from anywhere most passengers took to their heels and left only drivers in the cars out of panic. While their focus was on that vehicle for its doggedness at resisting their attack those of us who could summon courage went ahead to raise an alarm to articulated truck (trailer) drivers obstructing flow of traffic ahead. This act saved the victim in question as they were able to escape the moment traffic eased up without the defence of their car being breached.

On a daily basis I shudder at the carnage on our roads caused by this articulated trucks (trailers) and I wonder when we shall be released from the kidnap of our roads. A visit to most Police Traffic Divisions within the mainland area would showcase the increased number of road traffic accident directly or indirectly caused by this articulated trucks (trailers). I am equally terrified at the increasing number of unemployed and unproductive youths dotting the nation’s landscape ready to be used for any purpose and in most cases for pittance. I weep for my nation, the signs are not good but ominous that we are leaving on borrowed times which sooner or later would give in and leave us gnashing our teeth because we would have bitten sour grape.