IBADAN TO LAGOS BY TRAIN

Since former President Muhammadu Buhari prioritised the revamping of the rails, I'd felt that anytime I found myself in any of the areas traversed by that mode of transportation, I will utilise the opportunity, especially if it would lead me to my next destination. The occasion presented itself last week when I had cause to be at Ibadan for a funeral, and right from the time I decided to attend, it became top of my plans to return by train. Buhari had worked with the late Head Of State, General Sani Abacha in the late 90's as Head of Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, that had the mandate to intervene in upgrading social amenities and infrastructure in sectors like education, health, amongst others. He must've seen the efforts Abacha deployed to restoring the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC back to its glory days.

The fact that he took it up as one of his major pursuits after he became president in 2015, must've stemmed from his desire to do better than Abacha, as many of the coaches and infrastructure that were brought in back then were outdated and couldn't last the test of time. Buhari's input involved modernization, including adjusting the gauge to current specifications where it could be done, while abandoning the old, where it was simply easier to lay new tracks just beside the old one. For this, he had the former minister of transport, and former Rivers State Governor, Rt. Honourable Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who was highly motivated to bring Buhari's dream for the rails to life, and he delivered, though as with everything Nigerian, at a cost at huge variance with those where such had been achieved in other parts of Africa, with the same or different Chinese Construction Firms as partners.

One thing to applaud about the system, is the genuine interest even amongst the workers, to fight corruption, in the way they availed themselves to passengers seeking assistance in making ticket payments online, via the authorised portal, that requires amongst other info, ones' National Identity Number, NIN. I had thought that we will somehow be able to pay with cash, as was reported in the media month's back in Lagos, where most of the passengers noticed that such payments went into private pockets, but none of it was the case this time around. Only that passengers without NIN or a smartphone, were allowed to join those who had, and to pay through the latters' portal. The payment system also accommodates disparity in ticket fares for adults and children, which is quite commendable.

All of these was done outside the terminus, because at the time there was no power within the complex. Once payment has been made, QR code generated, then scanned by a staff, we were allowed into the damp, but clean station. It must also be that due to lack of power, there was no water for the conveniences, hence one could do a number one but not two. By the time more people had sorted themselves outside, it was beginning to get stuffy inside the station, but it wasn't for long because passengers were then called up by 7:40AM according to the class of coaches, ie first and business classes to begin with, before others. Nigerians of course would always relish anything that sets them a class apart and above their fellow countrymen, just like the power minister has now decided to prioritise Nigerians on Band A (about 1.5% of the population of about 200 million), for the supply of electricity, while binding the rest to the philistines. So you could see some of the men, and a few women strutting away like headless chickens, shoulders high like as if by some magic, they'd get to Lagos before the rest of us in Standard Coaches would, even though in some kinda funny way they could, if the minutes matter.

That was how our journey started at Obafemi Awolowo Station, Moniya, which we had to wake up early from the hotel to reach by 7AM as the train left by 8AM prompt leaving intending passengers yet to get around the ticketing processes stranded. The coaches are still new, and the interior air conditioned, the type that was

making me begin to catch cold. Sockets and USB ports still in good condition, can be found by the sides, though would mostly benefit the passenger by the window side, unless the aisle passengers have long phone charging cords. Also, passengers in the standard section had to pay for snacks, which may not be same in the first or business class sections.

Downsides? Well, the coaches are painted in graffiti, like what you'd find with trains in New York, only that this

wasn't done by juvenile delinquents but deliberately by the company or authority running the trains. The graffiti has incorporated within it an ad for a popular food based company in Nigeria, which is on its own novel. The fact that it is the only ad accommodated makes one wonder how much was paid for such privilege, when more money could be made from ads if other interested bodies were coopted, though that could also be tardy looking considering how they'd all appear either on one coach, or separately on the different coaches. It is possible that the graffiti design idea for the coaches was settled for, to encourage younger people to develop some interest in travelling by rail. If that is the case, then the presence of youths, young persons, even kids, in their numbers, on this journey meant it must've resonated with them.

Surely, the ultimate downside was as relating to time. The journey that started from Obafemi Awolowo Station in Moniya, and passing through Ladoke Akintola Station in Omi Adio, Wole Soyinka Station in Abeokuta, Babatunde Raji Fashola Station in Agege, and terminating at Mobolaji Johnson Train Station at Ebute Meta took two hours, twenty five minutes, ie from 8AM to 10:25AM. I couldn't come to terms with the slow speed during the journey, and after it I felt that a huge opportunity was lost, in terms of any possible plan to decongest Lagos. I've always loved Ibadan, right from my medical school days when I visited with other members of an advocacy group I belonged, to meet fellow medical students of University College Hospital, UCH.

We would stay in hotels, and visit the quiet and serene town for play and other activities. I had seen a lion for the first time at the University of Ibadan Zoo in one of those visits. Ibadan today is totally different from the madness of Lagos, as I again discovered during this visit, in every single way, including at their fun spots and recreational area, everything and everyone is laid back, a true exemplifying the age long maxim that "there's no hurry in life". In fact, it did occur to me like a place I could make a getaway location for my weekends before returning to the usual hustle and bustle of Nigeria's commercial capital, and by going by train, avoiding the risk that road transportation poses, not only from reckless driving but the attendant security challenges of our time. I had also thought that any train linking both locations will make it possible for one to live in Ibadan, and come to work in Lagos, at most enduring a journey of an hour only, but alas this journey totally disappointed me, and many who would've thought to exploit the cheaper rent of Ibadan, and the high wages of Lagos jobs.

It would've been possible with Abeokuta residents, who will board at Wole Soyinka Station, but what serious job in Lagos allows one to resume at work at 10:30AM or later daily? It is sad that a detail like time, was not factored in when a decision to modernise our railway infrastructure was taken. Rather political exigencies must've dictated the routes and siting of stations, over more commercially and economically viable routes, and time considerations. Was it not once mooted that a decision was made to limit the speed of the trains in order to reduce the incidence of accidents involving cattle crossing the rail lines?

The pricing of the tickets also highlighted the usual tradition of Public Private Partnership, PPP initiatives in Nigeria, where it seems that the intention is to as fast as possible, recoup investment capital and profit, as if to say that the infrastructure isn't expected to last beyond a certain number of years before collapsing, hence the need to speedily break even especially in this case where the non governmental partner is the loaner. They may not also be totally wrong, as you can see evidence of stripping in some of the stations away from the first and last (even when work is yet to be completed therein), and in spite of the presence of armed men of different security agencies at all the stops.

When we got to our last spot, all passengers had to use the staircase, as there was no power on that side of the terminus to power the escalator, though there was power on the other side of the raised platform, from where we descended via the escalator, and exited the station at Ebute Meta, and onto the main road, into town. I didn't know where to situate my first experience on a train, as my feelings were just everywhere, but definitely far lower than the high expectations I had before boarding. I tried to see if this will change if I looked beyond my issue with time and timing, but still failed to get the satisfaction, because I again saw loopholes that suggested like every other thing Nigeria, a lack of maintenance culture gradually seeping in. Hopefully, things will be different this time around.

'kovich