₦airaland Forum

This mountain kept following me.

6.51am. Birnin Gwari!
I just realissed that the town where I passed the night was not Birnin Gwari as I thought. It was Tegina!

Sunrise from 'my' North.

Weewee.

Pandogari town: 6.14am

Woke up 2.08am.

Reclined my seat properly and wound down the glasses some more.

Sleep. Round 2.

Finally woke up by 5.18am. Didnt like that. I'd hoped to wake earlier. but not bad.

Said some prayers. Checked my fluids. Ok. Tyres? Ok. Physical examination round and beneath the car. All ok.

Restart time: 5.34am.

I parked amongst parked trailers.

A suya man directed me to a man who was to take me to an hotel. I kept telling him 'an hotel not brothel o', because of the footpaths we kept trailing. Of course, it was his own 'apartment' -ile aberewo, that he took me to! I thanked him and told him no.

Went back to my car and told the suya man. He showed me all the people lying by the trucks. Some on mats and some on blanks. He said why was I looking for accommodation when I had a fine car. I insisted. He told me to drive backwards and turn into the town. I did. Saw the signpost to a guest inn and followed. The couple I met outside told me it was filled. They told me there are just 2 more hotels in the town: one toward Mokwa, the other toward Kaduna.

I drove back to the Suya spot. Bought suya. Bought 2 bottles of coke and emptied both into my water-bottle. Bought one bag of cold pure-water. Went back to my car and helped myself to some meal of bread (bought in Ilorin around Oko-Olowo area) and suya.

I slept off.

That should be about 12am.

kingreign:
Same thoughts on my mind, he actually took an 'Israelite journey' route that's infested with bad roads.

Apart from bad roads, this option of yours is actually the 'Israelite journey' route.

Police - Federal Highway Patrol checking my papers. 10.58

Got to Tegina at 11.15pm.

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiig relief!!!

In my tired mind, I was in Birnin Gwari.

Had a tete-a-tete with a soldierman at Makera junction. He concluded I was going for a passing-out event in Zaria. Well, I have been trained to not disagree with a man with the gun. He told me the road was bad and to be careful. "Well this one na small car naw. You no suppose get problem"

So I got to Makera about past 9.

The road was indeed bad.

Couldnt take shots because it was dark.

I drove and drove and drove and to no end. I was exhausted and was just going to bunk at the next town anyway.

Truth is, I started the trip after a night shift at work. Although I am used to night travels and can stretch myself for long hours, but for me, this night, I have had enough.

So, 7.30pm I was in Mokwa and had about 7 hours of more road-work to do. I was torn between taking the Bida or the Makera route.

I know Mokwa to Bida is good, but Bida to Minna is just as bad.

Parked inside a filling station at Kainji junction and made a couple of calls. Besides, since I left Lagos, I had not truly stretched my feet and back. I spoke with wifey, I was afraid she would discourage me from continuing the trip in the night, in which case I would have no choice. Interestingly, she just said 'The day is still young, how many hours do you have to the next big town? Without thinking, I just told her about '3 hours'!

Checked my fluids and the car's beneath. All ok.

I filled up my tank again at Bovas. N4000. Asked the pump attendant if there was anything I should worry about the Makera road. He just said it was bad. But urged me to ask from the transporter guy buying fuel behind me. He just said ''Gaskiya, ni dai ban sanni anyah Kaduna nan ba". Meaning he knew very little about Kaduna road.

So I hit the road again. It was to 8.

Traffic. Asked one of the trailer guys and he told me it is as far as to Mokwa. Got off the road and followed one Hilux branded 'Pilot 01' with one 'Dongari' seated in the cabin.

Nightfall and dust ruin what should be a perfect picture.

Mokwa 7.26pm.

Jebba bridge, Kwara Side.

Jebba bridge, Niger Side.

Another terrible road gridlock. miles and miles of trailers caught up in the gridlock.

Jebba Mokwa Road. Very terrible.

GAZZUZZ:
Same thoughts.

Same answer, Oga Gazzuzz.

Jebba, 6.10pm

Life Camp Junction.

More drive work

Good bye to Kwara State

DEXTROVERT:
Why
Didn't
You
Pasd
Lagos
Ibadan
Ilrsha
Akure
Owo
Ibilo
Okene
Lokoja
Abuja
Kaduna
Zaria

I am more familiar and conversant with the route I took.

End of good road after Bodesaadu.

Yours exhausted truly. I don remove my Gwari cap, tear chest button.

More good road.

Thanks to whoever got them to do this.

Travelled this road this October and the speed of progress is commendable.

Ilorin Bodesaadu Road under speedy and heavy rehabilitation.

I am aware the rehabilitation covers the stretch of road across Jebba to Mokwa. This road has been horrible for ages. The contract has also been repeatedly awarded by successive governments, except the incumbent.

It has been totally fixed from a village abt 20jm after Ilorin to past Bodesaadu. Roughly over 100km of work done.

Ilorin. 4.44pm. And end of dual carriage way.

I'd promised my sister who lives in Ilorin that I would be seeing her. Considering that I was 2 hours behind schedule, I told her that would have to be on my return leg. So didn't go through Ilorin city. Just followed the bye-pass sort of.

The diversion to the right takes you into the city from this expressway.

That is AlHikma University signboard welcoming one to Ilorin.

Ogbomosho Ilorin dual-carriage expressway. One of my best roads in Nigeria.

Got to Ogbomosho 4pm dot.

Some pics from Ogbomosho township.

More shots.

Gridlock before Ogbomosho, miles and miles of loaded lorries stuck for hours. Had to get off the road.

Lost over 2 hours between Lagos and Redemption Camp.

Got to Ibadan at past 2pm.

Considerable job done by the Ibadan-expressway contractors. If you ask me, I think the RCC guys are doing a better job than Julius Berger. Their job is faster, traffic control and diversions are excellent, road signs are adequate and in place.

I was on Oyo-Ogbomosho by past 3. Same narrow road. Same numerous daily accident filled road.

A few shots on that highway.

Start time

Odometer reading

car rear view

So on Friday 16th-Dec-2016, myself and I hit the road to Zaria for a friend's wedding. And of course, returned to Lagos on Sunday 18-Dec-2016.

Car: Infiniti G20. 2000 model. 2.0 ltr, P11, SR20DE engine,
Home. Lagos
Destination. Zaria
Approx (to fro) Distance: 1,800km
Approx (to fro) litres of fuel to be used - 250
Car's odometer reading at start of Trip: 264,626mi
Intended Trip Route: Lagos-Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomosho-Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna-Zaria
Take off time: 11am
Expected Trip duration: 14hrs (each way)

Story in pictures shortly...

ogbiwa:
I appreciate your mature response. I simply mean that it is just too coincidental that all these incidences occured to you alone. It simply cannot be just a function of the road alone cos most of us, myself included, drive these roads very regularly and I personally have never had to find myself in the bush one day. Am I saying that is all down to my expertise on the wheels? no. Spare a thought for public transport drivers who drive these bad roads sometimes 5 times every week and some have been doing it for years with little or no such stories. If you've had all these stories alone then I'm saying you should probably look at another likely cause other than the bad road.

And the one that occured with a heavily pregnant woman on board gave me the chills bro. Somethings cannot just be left to chance and explained away with bad roads bro.

BTW I have no idea what ajala means

I totally agree with you.

Ajala is the metaphor for someone who is always on the move - traveling. I think it stemmed from a particular Colonial period Nigerian, by the name Ajala, who travelled many European countries on bicycle. 'Ajala travel' is a common analogy for people with any such mobile attitude.

Again, thank you. I will always remember you when I'm on the highway. Cheers bro.

ogbiwa:
Sorry to say sir but you're a very bad and reckless driver. I think you need to allow more mature coolheaded drivers retrain you before taking the steering again, if not, I strongly advise you dont take passengers with you. Haba only you all these incidents?

Not offended. But if you are a regular 'Ajala', you increase the chances of these happenings. 'How many I wan count'.

I earnestly thank you for your kind concern though. And I opine that you are wrong nonetheless.

#TraveLandSea

buharimustlive:
Confirmed...
The southern part of Nigeria has the worst federal government road.
The best federal roads are in the north.

Which North?

Our Federal roads are generally a mess.

Plenty.

2011. Most expensive. Peugeot 207. Kaiama road (Kwara state) was with my heavily pregnant wife when I ran into a pothole. We were traveling from Lag and I was on like maybe 70km/hr because the road was untarred but that part was smooth. Just out of nowhere a pothole appeared! I ran into it and the car couldn't hold anymore. There was sand everywhere and anywhere I turned the steering it oversteered. Ended up in a yam farm after clearing heaps and stopped by a tree. Brand new car almost totalled. Thank God we came out unscathed.

October 2016. Infiniti G20 Was returning from Minna to Lagos. Full car with siblings and children. Had earlier lost my 2 back absorbers when I ran into a road bump without warning in a village after Boda. So I was deliberately careful of running into potholes because the bounce from the rear made steering correctly difficult when I run into bad spots. Somehow, I did just that. Ran into a pothole shortly before Ilorin and boom, I was Mr Criss Cross on the highway. We ended in the bush on the other side. Thank God there was no trailer or dangerous ditch while that madness lasted. I replaced those shocks in Ilorin before proceeding with the trip.

Sunday Dec 18. Returning from Zaria. Infiniti G20. Somewhere between Mokwa and Jebba. I knew the road was bad but there were some spots one can express the drive. I swayed right, left, right ... nowhere because all the ditches have successfully spread themselves across the road. The car was borne mid air. Usually when I find ditches like that, I increase by speed and firmly hold my steering, but this caught me. When the car landed, the wipers were auto-working, the plastic frame between the windscreen and the driver's door had removed, my front tires became wobbly.

I am a survivor. And I give God all the glory for that.

Deleted

EternalTruths:
My hero was fixing the North in his first term with the plan to fix the South in his second term before hopeless Afonjas ganged up with their masters against him

But your demonic and sectional hero right from day one has never meant well for the South.

Worthless President

Which North was he fixing?

I am not here for the tribal wars but know that facts speak for themselves. Don't say what you can't prove.

femi4:
You are wrong!

Several pictures were taken on that day and she featured in most of them. So not being part in one does make her not part of the family. Infact, a woman would know whether she was welcomed by her inlaw on a daily basis. She doesnt need to wait till pictures were taken in a party.

Oh you mean...if your in law is having a meeting, you ll go and join them all in the name of "your family is my family".

If I must respond to you, then Yes.

I get an invite to my Inlaws' meetings every time there's going to be one. My wife has also represented me amongst my siblings countless times. But you see, this thread is not about me, so if you excuse me, please.

You requested our opinions about YOUR situation and got some for free. If my opinions are not the approval you seek, please spare me and move on.

2dugged:
Dying during child birth is my greatest fear

It shall not be your lot in Jesus name. Each time you remember this fear, do well to remember that someone somewhere have prayed for you.

Cheers.

That I have no fears at all.

And I am dead serious.