Travelogue
My journey to Togo
Taiwo Abiodun who arrived recently from Lome recounts his journey
My heart started beating faster than before. My temperature increased and I suddenly developed goose pimples .Different thoughts flooded my mind. Should we go back? . Will this vehicle take us to our destination?.Are we going to sleep in the bush tonight? .Oh gosh, why did I embark on this journey?.I had no credit on my phone and even if I had who would I call to rescue us ?. I complained bitterly .But my boss, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin ( the online Editor) whom I was traveling with could no longer stomach it and said"' Taiwo we would have gone by air but since you wanted to see how the roads look like that is why I said we should go by road'. Again he mocked me and said " Why are you panicking but you are Babalawo of The Nation, now use your Babalawo power to operate the vehicle ".
No, I was not groaning or complaining for the fun of it but when the Mercedes Benz Car we boarded at Agege motor Park started jerking immediately we left Lagos I knew we were done for when one of the tires was making unusual sound and I began to doubt whether this vehicle will get to the two West African countries - (Benin Republic and The Republic of Togo) we were heading to. But inspite our complaints the fairly elderly old driver did not blink an eye and did not even cared a hoot as he remained calm as he spoke softly without being harsh yet he knew the condition of the vehicle .The more I tried to make trouble with him the more Mr. Otufodunrin would pacify me saying we had already boarded it and therefore we should be patient .Later we discovered that the man had bandage on one of his legs and was limping while the second leg was swollen .Then I remembered Long John Silver in the book 'Treasure Island' ( I read in Modern a school) who despite his one leg was wicked and remorseless.
The road to Cotonou was smooth as the road was not busy and immediately we left Nigerian shore the road was smooth.
Porous Border
At the Seme Border were Nigeria Custom officers who were civil, with respect and dignity , they asked us few questions while we introduced ourselves as journalists.They were impressed and immediately stamped our passports , none of them demanded for money . While I obtained my Yellow card at the point of entry .At the border were all sorts of people crossing from Nigeria border to Benin and vice versa .The driver introduced two men (we later found out to be touts) who led us to where we would stamp our papers and we were fleeced. We were shocked when the driver spoke with authority as he commanded the man holding a rope at the border ( between Nigeria and Benin Republic) to drop the rope after handling him 200 naira .To my chagrin the gate keeper ( or border keeper?) with nicotine - stained teeth grabbed the money and dropped the rope while the driver drove across the border .We were asked to trek across after we had been searched .The man who searched me saw some one thousand naira notes on me and as tried to take one by force I was mad at him and with annoyance screamed on top of my voice and said ' Why? I'm gona report you', he quickly dropped the money .
Now the driver had left us as he asked us to go and stamp our passports while here the soldiers , Cotonou policemen and Custom officers demanded for 2000 FCFA, 50franc, 100FRANC,500 FCFA, 250 FRANCS,and many more at different points but my boss was annoyed as he argued , later we knew that the driver had cunningly left us to be fleeced as some touts were following us and directing us .Now Mr.Otufodunrin became angry and said he had wanted to board an aircraft to avoid all these . At another point they asked whether I am an Americana with the complete jeans I wore .But I refused to be cajoled and said no.
I argued that with the porosity and high level of bribery and corruption at the border without brick walls fenced round or demarcation between Nigeria and Benin Republic terrorists could use the advantage of this .I asked myself 'Is rope the demarcation between Nigeria border and Benin Republic?'
Looking at the border and seeing how money exchanged hands among the Benin Immigration , Policemen and soldiers as they demanded for 2,000, 1000 and 300 franc, though I bargained with some while I argued and strongly refused to give few, but some are stubborn and unrepentant as they frowned their faces demanding for money and we had to comply to avoid delay.
Petroleum in bottles
It is in Cotonou that I saw petroleum being hawked like kerosene .In Benin vehicles stop to refill their tanks from petroleum hawkers and one could see different bottles of various sizes .I looked at them and cried ' Nigeria is blessed .Nigeria only needs good leadership to put things right. I can now understand why people look at Nigerians as rich people , I can now see why Nigeria is Eldorado to many. No wonder other countries look at Nigerians as rich people.
Along the road from Cotonou to Togo our driver pleaded that he would like to check his tires as the noise from the tires continued .Here we wasted about 45 minutes yet the driver remain unrepentant yet with cool voice. Mr.Otufodunrin, a man noted for his gentle behaviour and a man of peace calmed down my frayed nerves using Bible verses and Bishop Oyedepo's quotations to cool me down when I told him I wanted to get mad for just 10 minutes with the driver.
At 5:30 pm we arrived Togo and the mouthy driver who promised to take us to our hotel could not locate anywhere despite the fact that we paid more and we later found out that he lives in Ghana. In the end our ' Long John Silver' abandoned us to a taxi driver and fled without paying the taxi driver as promised thus we paid 2000 cefa.
Togo
Lome capital of Togo is clean .They have good wall demarcation between Benin and their administration is well organized .While all the motorcycles (known as Okada) riders wore their helmets while their passengers did not. In Lome they obey traffic rules and where the traffic light is not working Policemen were positioned there and they work tirelessly .They use good vehicles as Taxi unlike junkets rickety vehicles in Nigeria .At Bouvard Road is a beautiful sculptor of an Eagle located opposite Saint Thomas Hotel where we lodged .
Language barrier
While Mr.Otufodurin was at the hotel room attending to a meeting , I was agitated and restless wanting to know how the city of Lome looks like but nobody to guide me.I seized the opportunity when I later went out with two people to collect money from ATM. I was stunned when I did not see customers on the queue outside the Bank but rather they went into the hall which is well guarded with security officers.
Now left alone , I started strolling ups and downs looking like a thief I started going from one street to another , Infact the area I found myself looked like Yaba in Lagos .
When asked where I could eat Yoruba food I was directed me to one Mama Afolabi .I was stunned when at a place a plate of food was called 2,000 cefa thinking it was 2,000 naira .I went round but surprisingly meeting Yoruba speaking people .I was directed to one Mama Afolabi that sells food , where I ate amala with ' abula ' .According to the woman she has been coming and going out of Lome for the past 10 years .When asked which country she preferred between the two countries ( Nigeria and Togo )she said "am making my living here , so everywhere is home'". But when I told her there is money and business in Nigeria she smiled and said " let it be". I saw Ibo and Yoruba speaking ladies who are hanging around beckoning to customers ,one of them called me but when she made mentioned of 20, 000 cefa , I quickly left, Another ran up to me and spoke in a smattering English as she asked ' Do you want to drink water? I go do you weli weli and I geti condom" , I smiled and said 'no'.The fact is that I just wanted to know how their evening looked like.
A man walked up to me and spoke to me in French but I said ' non language Monsieur ', he did not understand me . Again he spoke but I dramatized to him using signals like a dumb and deaf man, he looked at me with curiosity .But he too did not understand English as he also made a signal that he did not understand what I was saying. And I remembered in 1974 when we were taught French Language and while choosing subjects I dropped it .Now I need it.I now know the value.
Orderliness in Togo
Who says Togolese are not law-abiding citizens?.Seeing the Okada riders could be interesting as they all wore their helmets , they obeyed traffic rules , Infact where traffic lights were not working Policemen were. positioned there to put them through .
The Police officers were stationed at the traffic light sections where they controlled them .The Okada riders were like locust as they ride together as if going same route, it was interesting thing to watch, and if one is not careful he could think that is their only means of transportation or they are produced .In Lome taxis are not painted , one can hardly see a rickety vehicles , but all clean and this is due to their not paying import duty on their importations.
On my way home I started reading the billboards written in French: Rama Golrodome , couture , Lavillage , Togoke El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Rues Des barabas, Prophete Momo, Complexe Solaire, , Auberge Du Lac, Auberge Sinoutin, 2 Vendre Plots, Rue Mausi , .Abraham Lincoln Inn, Bien Venenn, Bouvard, Daguerre,Ora bank!
Back home
We had no much problem coming back to Nigeria .At the Motor Park drivers were struggling to drive us back home.The moment they saw us one Peter ....called us , he is a multilingual as he could speak, Yoruba, French and English .Since I knew our money had value I begged my Boss(Mr Otufodunrin) to let me act like a big man , and I walked up and down majestically as they kept watching me and laughing .I demanded for a Jeep to take us to Lagos .And I went to take a shot of their Alomo bitters by the Atlantic Ocean , I laid by the Bar beach .I jumped around, walked around but when I remembered that I was in at the Bar Beach in Togo, when I remember I was far away from home , and when I remember that my family is far away , I then cautioned myself and said Babalawo of the Nation must not drown , then ran back to the Park as
we had a smooth ride to Lagos .
At Seme Border the Nigerian Custom Officers did not ask for bribe as others did.The Nigeria Customs officers honoured us, stamped our passports, In fact one would be proud of them.
Lesson from my journey
Seeing the business in Togo and Cotonou where used cars, used motorcycles (Okada) , used household utensils, used clothes among others were displayed I then remembered my secondary school teachers at Adeyeri Grammar School, Owo in the 70s: Mr. Nana , a Ghanaian and the late Gabriel Ogundipe who both taught me Economics and Commerce in the 70s that Nigeria and the whole of Africa would soon (then ) become a dumping ground for the Western world . Unfortunately, Nana is no longer in Nigeria while Ogundipe had died if not I could have gone and tell them that they were after all correct on their economics prophesy .
Another lesson I learnt is one should learn how to speak French , if we had had good teachers in the 70s I would have been fairly good in speaking French for immediately one leaves Nigeria he is in Francophone nations .
Let our schools start teaching French language and should be made compulsory in all schools .The next time I go to Francophone nations I would have been fluent in French or what do you think?
Sent from my iPad
My journey to Togo
Taiwo Abiodun who arrived recently from Lome recounts his journey
My heart started beating faster than before. My temperature increased and I suddenly developed goose pimples .Different thoughts flooded my mind. Should we go back? . Will this vehicle take us to our destination?.Are we going to sleep in the bush tonight? .Oh gosh, why did I embark on this journey?.I had no credit on my phone and even if I had who would I call to rescue us ?. I complained bitterly .But my boss, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin ( the online Editor) whom I was traveling with could no longer stomach it and said"' Taiwo we would have gone by air but since you wanted to see how the roads look like that is why I said we should go by road'. Again he mocked me and said " Why are you panicking but you are Babalawo of The Nation, now use your Babalawo power to operate the vehicle ".
No, I was not groaning or complaining for the fun of it but when the Mercedes Benz Car we boarded at Agege motor Park started jerking immediately we left Lagos I knew we were done for when one of the tires was making unusual sound and I began to doubt whether this vehicle will get to the two West African countries - (Benin Republic and The Republic of Togo) we were heading to. But inspite our complaints the fairly elderly old driver did not blink an eye and did not even cared a hoot as he remained calm as he spoke softly without being harsh yet he knew the condition of the vehicle .The more I tried to make trouble with him the more Mr. Otufodunrin would pacify me saying we had already boarded it and therefore we should be patient .Later we discovered that the man had bandage on one of his legs and was limping while the second leg was swollen .Then I remembered Long John Silver in the book 'Treasure Island' ( I read in Modern a school) who despite his one leg was wicked and remorseless.
The road to Cotonou was smooth as the road was not busy and immediately we left Nigerian shore the road was smooth.
Porous Border
At the Seme Border were Nigeria Custom officers who were civil, with respect and dignity , they asked us few questions while we introduced ourselves as journalists.They were impressed and immediately stamped our passports , none of them demanded for money . While I obtained my Yellow card at the point of entry .At the border were all sorts of people crossing from Nigeria border to Benin and vice versa .The driver introduced two men (we later found out to be touts) who led us to where we would stamp our papers and we were fleeced. We were shocked when the driver spoke with authority as he commanded the man holding a rope at the border ( between Nigeria and Benin Republic) to drop the rope after handling him 200 naira .To my chagrin the gate keeper ( or border keeper?) with nicotine - stained teeth grabbed the money and dropped the rope while the driver drove across the border .We were asked to trek across after we had been searched .The man who searched me saw some one thousand naira notes on me and as tried to take one by force I was mad at him and with annoyance screamed on top of my voice and said ' Why? I'm gona report you', he quickly dropped the money .
Now the driver had left us as he asked us to go and stamp our passports while here the soldiers , Cotonou policemen and Custom officers demanded for 2000 FCFA, 50franc, 100FRANC,500 FCFA, 250 FRANCS,and many more at different points but my boss was annoyed as he argued , later we knew that the driver had cunningly left us to be fleeced as some touts were following us and directing us .Now Mr.Otufodunrin became angry and said he had wanted to board an aircraft to avoid all these . At another point they asked whether I am an Americana with the complete jeans I wore .But I refused to be cajoled and said no.
I argued that with the porosity and high level of bribery and corruption at the border without brick walls fenced round or demarcation between Nigeria and Benin Republic terrorists could use the advantage of this .I asked myself 'Is rope the demarcation between Nigeria border and Benin Republic?'
Looking at the border and seeing how money exchanged hands among the Benin Immigration , Policemen and soldiers as they demanded for 2,000, 1000 and 300 franc, though I bargained with some while I argued and strongly refused to give few, but some are stubborn and unrepentant as they frowned their faces demanding for money and we had to comply to avoid delay.
Petroleum in bottles
It is in Cotonou that I saw petroleum being hawked like kerosene .In Benin vehicles stop to refill their tanks from petroleum hawkers and one could see different bottles of various sizes .I looked at them and cried ' Nigeria is blessed .Nigeria only needs good leadership to put things right. I can now understand why people look at Nigerians as rich people , I can now see why Nigeria is Eldorado to many. No wonder other countries look at Nigerians as rich people.
Along the road from Cotonou to Togo our driver pleaded that he would like to check his tires as the noise from the tires continued .Here we wasted about 45 minutes yet the driver remain unrepentant yet with cool voice. Mr.Otufodunrin, a man noted for his gentle behaviour and a man of peace calmed down my frayed nerves using Bible verses and Bishop Oyedepo's quotations to cool me down when I told him I wanted to get mad for just 10 minutes with the driver.
At 5:30 pm we arrived Togo and the mouthy driver who promised to take us to our hotel could not locate anywhere despite the fact that we paid more and we later found out that he lives in Ghana. In the end our ' Long John Silver' abandoned us to a taxi driver and fled without paying the taxi driver as promised thus we paid 2000 cefa.
Togo
Lome capital of Togo is clean .They have good wall demarcation between Benin and their administration is well organized .While all the motorcycles (known as Okada) riders wore their helmets while their passengers did not. In Lome they obey traffic rules and where the traffic light is not working Policemen were positioned there and they work tirelessly .They use good vehicles as Taxi unlike junkets rickety vehicles in Nigeria .At Bouvard Road is a beautiful sculptor of an Eagle located opposite Saint Thomas Hotel where we lodged .
Language barrier
While Mr.Otufodurin was at the hotel room attending to a meeting , I was agitated and restless wanting to know how the city of Lome looks like but nobody to guide me.I seized the opportunity when I later went out with two people to collect money from ATM. I was stunned when I did not see customers on the queue outside the Bank but rather they went into the hall which is well guarded with security officers.
Now left alone , I started strolling ups and downs looking like a thief I started going from one street to another , Infact the area I found myself looked like Yaba in Lagos .
When asked where I could eat Yoruba food I was directed me to one Mama Afolabi .I was stunned when at a place a plate of food was called 2,000 cefa thinking it was 2,000 naira .I went round but surprisingly meeting Yoruba speaking people .I was directed to one Mama Afolabi that sells food , where I ate amala with ' abula ' .According to the woman she has been coming and going out of Lome for the past 10 years .When asked which country she preferred between the two countries ( Nigeria and Togo )she said "am making my living here , so everywhere is home'". But when I told her there is money and business in Nigeria she smiled and said " let it be". I saw Ibo and Yoruba speaking ladies who are hanging around beckoning to customers ,one of them called me but when she made mentioned of 20, 000 cefa , I quickly left, Another ran up to me and spoke in a smattering English as she asked ' Do you want to drink water? I go do you weli weli and I geti condom" , I smiled and said 'no'.The fact is that I just wanted to know how their evening looked like.
A man walked up to me and spoke to me in French but I said ' non language Monsieur ', he did not understand me . Again he spoke but I dramatized to him using signals like a dumb and deaf man, he looked at me with curiosity .But he too did not understand English as he also made a signal that he did not understand what I was saying. And I remembered in 1974 when we were taught French Language and while choosing subjects I dropped it .Now I need it.I now know the value.
Orderliness in Togo
Who says Togolese are not law-abiding citizens?.Seeing the Okada riders could be interesting as they all wore their helmets , they obeyed traffic rules , Infact where traffic lights were not working Policemen were. positioned there to put them through .
The Police officers were stationed at the traffic light sections where they controlled them .The Okada riders were like locust as they ride together as if going same route, it was interesting thing to watch, and if one is not careful he could think that is their only means of transportation or they are produced .In Lome taxis are not painted , one can hardly see a rickety vehicles , but all clean and this is due to their not paying import duty on their importations.
On my way home I started reading the billboards written in French: Rama Golrodome , couture , Lavillage , Togoke El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Rues Des barabas, Prophete Momo, Complexe Solaire, , Auberge Du Lac, Auberge Sinoutin, 2 Vendre Plots, Rue Mausi , .Abraham Lincoln Inn, Bien Venenn, Bouvard, Daguerre,Ora bank!
Back home
We had no much problem coming back to Nigeria .At the Motor Park drivers were struggling to drive us back home.The moment they saw us one Peter ....called us , he is a multilingual as he could speak, Yoruba, French and English .Since I knew our money had value I begged my Boss(Mr Otufodunrin) to let me act like a big man , and I walked up and down majestically as they kept watching me and laughing .I demanded for a Jeep to take us to Lagos .And I went to take a shot of their Alomo bitters by the Atlantic Ocean , I laid by the Bar beach .I jumped around, walked around but when I remembered that I was in at the Bar Beach in Togo, when I remember I was far away from home , and when I remember that my family is far away , I then cautioned myself and said Babalawo of the Nation must not drown , then ran back to the Park as
we had a smooth ride to Lagos .
At Seme Border the Nigerian Custom Officers did not ask for bribe as others did.The Nigeria Customs officers honoured us, stamped our passports, In fact one would be proud of them.
Lesson from my journey
Seeing the business in Togo and Cotonou where used cars, used motorcycles (Okada) , used household utensils, used clothes among others were displayed I then remembered my secondary school teachers at Adeyeri Grammar School, Owo in the 70s: Mr. Nana , a Ghanaian and the late Gabriel Ogundipe who both taught me Economics and Commerce in the 70s that Nigeria and the whole of Africa would soon (then ) become a dumping ground for the Western world . Unfortunately, Nana is no longer in Nigeria while Ogundipe had died if not I could have gone and tell them that they were after all correct on their economics prophesy .
Another lesson I learnt is one should learn how to speak French , if we had had good teachers in the 70s I would have been fairly good in speaking French for immediately one leaves Nigeria he is in Francophone nations .
Let our schools start teaching French language and should be made compulsory in all schools .The next time I go to Francophone nations I would have been fluent in French or what do you think?
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Gmail <babalawonation@gmail.com>
Date: September 23, 2015 at 5:25:54 PM GMT+1
To: deputy editor <ogbile@yahoo.com>, "yinka2005@gmail.com" <yinka2005@gmail.com>
Subject: Travelogue
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