NIGERIA-TRANSPORT: HELLRUN EAST

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

GUMISAI MUTUME

LAGOS, Nov 8 1994 (IPS) - THE CONDUCTOR WARDS-OFF A GROUP OF PASSENGERS TUGGING AT HIS SHIRT OVER THE DELAY IN THE MINIBUS STARTING ITS JOURNEY EAST TO PORT HARCOURT, ABOUT 700 KMS AWAY.

“IN NIGERIA THIS IS AN ALL-TOO FAMILIAR SIGHT,” SAYS TRAVELLER UDEME AKPATA, “OPERATORS MAKE FALSE PROMISES AND KEEP US WAITING FOR HOURS. AND I MUST GET HOME BY FOUR.”

AKPATA, HAS BEEN HERE SINCE ABOUT 9.00 AM. BUT BY 11.00, THE MINIBUS, KNOWN LOCALLY AS A ‘DANFO’, WAS STILL TO LEAVE THE CRAMMED TERMINUS.

BUSES, TRUCKS AND SALOON CARS PAINTED IN BRIGHT YELLOW, RED, BLUE AND GREEN, ADD COLOUR TO THE SWARMING MARKET PLACE.

THE BUSES BEAR WILD LEGENDS LIKE “ACCESS AIRLINES”, “SCHOOLBOY”, “IF YOU MISS JESUS YOU MISS ALL”, AND “DE GOVERNOR BEN”.

WHEN THE DANFO FINALLY PULLS OUT, A MIDDLE AGED WOMAN IMMEDIATELY STANDS UP TO ADDRESS THE PASSENGERS:

“WITH THIS MEDICINE YOU CAN CURE COUGH, COLD, FEVER, HEADACHE, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING,” SHE SAYS, HOLDING UP A PACKET.

THE BUS IS FILLED WITH LAUGHTER. TRAVELLERS ARE USED TO THE SALES PITCHES OF A WELL ESTABLISHED, INFORMAL ADVERTISING NETWORK ON NIGERIA’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT VEHICLES. OFTEN IT WORKS, WITH THE GULLIBLE PAYING FOR FAKE PRODUCTS.

IN SOME CASES IT IS THE WORD OF GOD THAT FINDS ITS WAY ONTO NIGERIA’S FRIGHTENINGLY BATTERED, URBAN BUSES CALLED ‘MOLUES’.

A MAN IN A DEEP TREMBLING VOICE PREACHES AGAINST VIOLENCE, AT THE END OF WHICH THE CONVERTED JOIN HANDS AND PRAY FOR THE PEACEFUL DELIVERANCE OF NIGERIA FROM MILITARY DICTATORSHIP.

AT PAINSTAKINGLY SLOW SPEED, THE DANFO EVENTUALLY EMBARKS ON ITS ARDUOUS JOURNEY. DRIVING IN OR OUT OF LAGOS, THE COUNTRY’S COMMERCIAL CAPITAL, IS EVERY DRIVERS NIGHTMARE.

IN A CITY OF SIX MILLION PEOPLE, THE AMOUNT OF CARS ON ITS CONGESTED FLY-OVERS AND ROADS MAKES FOR GRIDLOCK TRAFFIC, AND SOME IMAGINATIVE DRIVING THAT FLOUTS EVERY KNOWN HIGHWAY CODE.