African view: Leaving Lagos

In our series of weekly viewpoints from African journalists, Sola Odunfa decides to take a break from the hurly burly of Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos.

Shortly after my last column I felt I had had enough of the pressure and tension of life in my beloved Lagos.

There were no robbery alarms in the night and I heard no gun-shots

I concluded that the perennial traffic jam had become insufferable; that I could no longer stand the sight of the large armies of street beggars and menacing rough-necks, whom we call "area boys"; that I longed for the long-lost luxury of being able to sleep at night without keeping an ear on alert for armed robbers.

In short I needed a break from everything in the environment which had given me, and continued to nourish, an apparently incurable headache.

Call it a holiday.

Cultural connections

My destinations were to be the coastal cities of Cotonou and Lome.

Ordinarily Cotonou, Benin's main city, should be an hour's drive from Lagos but it was far enough because the road to the border at Seme was as bad as any road could be in this rainy season.

Cotonou is much more relaxed than Lagos

Lome, Togo's capital, was to be about four hours' drive further.

The first thing which struck me in Cotonou was the very high tariff in good hotels.

I had to settle for a house which was advertised as a hotel but which, inside, looked more like a school hostel in Lagos. Good enough, because it was pocket friendly.

I still had the fears I would in any town in Nigeria. Fear of unwelcome visitors in the dead of night. Fear of a power-cut which would plunge the hotel into darkness.

Surprise, surprise! There were no robbery alarms in the night and I heard no gun-shots.

There was electricity all through the night. Power-cuts were not common, I was told.

These discoveries on my first night made the rest of the visit relaxing, except that I disliked riding commercial motorcycles because I considered myself too old for such adventures. Taxis were rare.

I found much cultural affinity between this part of Benin Republic and western Nigeria where I lived.

I did not understand the French language but I got by speaking my native Yoruba. A large part of the population there spoke the Yoruba language, with a slight variant though.

There was not much difference in their food and that of western Nigeria.

Fashion

Coming from Lagos, I noticed in no time that dressing here was simple.

At the border area there was a checkpoint every 100 metres, with officials at each demanding bribes to facilitate our vehicle's passage

Most men wore "boubou" and "sokoto", that is, traditional trousers and tops, made from wax-printed cotton.

Probably because I had no business in banks and offices, I did not meet any man in Italian-cut suits and London-tailored T M Lewin shirts which are the trendy wears in Lagos.

The women wore a wrapper of material and boubou, but the popular work dress was jeans.

The road from Cotonou to Lome was only slightly better than that from Lagos to Seme. The rains had washed off long stretches.

However the comfort of the coach in which I travelled compensated for the rough road. Lome itself was, to me, a dream!

The city was peaceful, hotels were not expensive, the food was familiar and good and the beach was long, clean and inviting.

In three of the five days I spent in the town, I would go to the beach shortly after noon, find an unoccupied bench, lie on the concrete and indulgently slip into dreamland.

'The Nigerian factor'

On the two days I didn't go to the beach I was kept away by rain.

I found much spiritual satisfaction just lying in the shade of tall palm trees and watching people go about their businesses and fishermen either pulling in their boats or tending their nets.

The beach in Lome offered hours of relaxation

The Togolese might not have the material standard of life of where I came from, but the quality of life was higher.

My return journey was uneventful, that is, until the coach reached the Seme border.

We had crossed the Togo/Benin border at Illah Konji without any hustle.

The problem began as soon as we arrived at the Nigerian side of the border at Seme and the notorious "Nigerian factor" descended on us.

At the border area there was a checkpoint every 100 metres, with officials at each demanding bribes to facilitate our vehicle's passage.

Beyond Seme the checkpoints came at one- or two-kilometre intervals, manned variously by the police, customs officials and anti-drug officers - all armed.

I wondered how the Beninoise and Togolese authorities maintained the discipline I noticed at their borders.

The supposed two-hour journey to Lagos lasted double that time.

I knew I had returned home and my heart skipped one or two beats.

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If you would like to comment on this column, send us your views using the post form below.

Thanks for your comments. Please read a selection below:

Although, what Sola Odunfa wrote about Lagos is factual, yet one must not get the impression that all about Lagos is negative. There are parts of Lagos where you can relax. There parts of Lagos that are developed and organised like modern cities of the world.
Paul Dada, Lagos, Nigeria

In all fairness, I will say that besides the Ghanaian officials, the Nigerian officials are the next best behaved officials on that road Edu Okeke

People ask me why I don't want to relocate back to Nigeria. It is all captured in this article. In a nutshell... peace of mind.
TAYO, DC,USA

What Odunfa narrated is a fact. The system of doing things in Nigeria is so bad. Our Leaders are wicked, they derive joy in seeing the innocent citizens of this country suffering. Police are every where mounting illegal check points and the crime rate is at increase. Kidnapping for ransom is the order of the day and the government are not doing anything to eradicate this menance. Only God can save us
Christopher Nweke, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

That was beautifully insightful and informative. It is refreshing to be reminded every now and then about the loveliness certain places in our beloved Africa still beholds. Nigeria to me is a big, dumb, giant that is determined to ruin itself from within. All I have to say is electricity electricity electricity...how has that country still not realised the sort of advancement that can come with improving something as simply as that?
Elizabeth E, Louisville, Kentucky

We see this social break down of law and order as a norm. It really angers me that we are the way we are Deji Amao

While I cannot dispute the fact that quality of life was by far better in Benin and Togo compared to Lagos, I find it surprising that Sola is claiming that there was no hassle passing through at Benin/Togo border. I ply Lagos to Abidjan on a monthly basis and for all the time I travelled on that stretch of road, the Benin/Togo border has always been the worst with checkpoints everywhere and different security forces ready to clamp you into jail when bribe is not offered. In all fairness, I will say that besides the Ghanaian officials, the Nigerian officials are the next best behaved officials on that road.
Edu Okeke, Lagos, Nigeria

It's really annoying to read things like this. Benin and Togo put together is not even a tenth of Lagos let alone Nigeria, not to mention resources or manpower. What is wrong with us as Nigerians? I don't see how those at the top cant see we have a problem? Then again the entire Nigerian populace(most of them anyways)have a huge problem. We attach importance to trivial and irrelevant things like TM shirt, power suits and all. The important things like a decent night's rest, good roads, things being in order, having to beg/bribe people to do their jobs. We see this social break down of law and order as a norm. It really angers me that we are the way we are.
Deji Amao, Johannesburg, South Africa

Sola Odunfa used to be my prefered journalist in the late 1990s so his experience is valid. Living in France now, I am able to compare being colonised by the English and the French. For Nigeria to be a dream land, it will have to wait until the Biblical new world.
OMOKOGBOH Akin, Fougeres, France

If every town, city and country were alike, it would be a boring world Dean

Nigeria can learn a lot of lessons from her immediate neighbours... The so-called giant of Africa is badly asleep, almost to a point where it seems to be in a comma. The very fibre and institutions that holds the country together is falling apart. Wake up sleeping giant.
Charles Biney, Cheshire, Connecticut

I have lived in Cameroon and Benin for quite a number of years. The truth is that each time I travel and come back to Nigeria, I feel sad and dejected. Nigeria is a land of missed and wasted opportunities and our leaders have failed miserably in utilising the nation's wealth for the good of the majority.
Akindeji, Lagos, Nigeria

If every town, city and country were alike, it would be a boring world. Places like Lagos are there for a reason. Figure it out.
Dean, London United Kingdom

The giver of a bribe and the receiver are the same,nigeria's government can't do all alone,so all nigerians should work hard with the government to correct the mistake.
T.Kenga, Rotterdam,netherlands.

Nobody has actually commended the work done by the current Lagos State government under Babatunde Fashola Abe

How correct Sola is! I just came back from Accra myself about 3 weeks ago. Though not my first visit, I never fail to notice how predictable their public utilities are. The morning after my arrival, I noticed it took sometime for my hotel staff to switch on the generator--obviously it had not been used in a long while. I could have a cold bottle of beer anytime! The moment I crossed into Nigeria at Seme--my headaches that had disappeared while in Accra, suddenly surfaced again. I really must go back again in 4weeks. I NEED IT.
Patrick Thorpe, Lagos, Nigeria

Reading through all the comments shared on this forum, nobody has actually commended the work done by the current Lagos State government under Babatunde Fashola. I feel Lagos State government is heading in the right direction but like Deji Amao commented, we Lagosians, Nigerians as a whole need to change our attitude. Abide with Law and order, do not abuse your power but use it for the better good of your people and country!
Abe, London, United Kingdom

In fact Sola gave us a partial picture of the whole thing because he travelled by the coach, I suggest he travel by the car in other to see clearly the atrocities that are being committed on these borders, not only by the Nigeria security agents, because I was once handcuffed by the Beninois police and the Ghanaian immigration for refusing to offer them some money even though I had my national ID card with me.
Onyeka Onu c, Lagos Nigeria