Increased Fuel Price Plunges Lagos into Crises State
A few days ago, we came to the point of utmost crises in
Nigeria. The country drove on a fast lane to the point of jumping off the cliff
in reckless abandon, and we sat there, hoping for a miracle to swerve our wagon
back to a safe lane. A few days ago we experienced the worst situation that
almost threatened to last for a life time, although some states might still be
experiencing the peak of the devastating event. I don’t know whether you
stumbled onto what I encountered the
past few days when everything in Nigeria came to halt. I witnessed people whose
lives were almost about to be snuffed out of them just because of these crises
we faced.. Well, atleast right now it seems to be getting better anyway.
A few days ago, I set out to go see a friend at Omole in Ikeja,
I paid N200 from Ikeja under bridge for something that would cost N100 on a
normal crisis free day.
The bus drove off
with this very sad and gloomy song dragged out from the piles of CDs from the
80s— it was fela kuti’s. It constantly startled me off the present state of
happiness I was trying so hard to create for myself, and plunged me into that
dungeon of uncertainty which was the reality I ought to face. Well , the street
didn’t even help at all, as some strategic points on the road seemed to have a huge cloud of pessimism threatening
to rain. The pervading song of discord
kept blaring through speakers that stood
in vehement protest of the disaster that was almost enveloping the nation…. “Nigeria
jaga jaga”…. I wondered, how much jaga
jaga must we pass through before the government knows that the sheet we
wrote that jaga jaga has been filled,
and a new sheet needed with a new teacher that can direct us off the jaganess of life.
As I thought deeply about this, my
bank sent me an alert stating that they wouldn’t be available from 1 o’clock,
seeing as the crises had affected them badly and they couldn’t bear splurging
all their earnings on diesel. Well, it didn’t bother me anyway because I can
easily withdraw from ATM if I want to. Filling stations were now shut down and the
few that opened up, sold the diesel at the cost of an arm and a leg; the driver
still found his arms and legs so precious to splurge on something we were
supposed to have in abundance, owing to the fact that we are one of the most
productive oil producing nations in the whole world.
On my way back from Omole, the bus
fare cost N150 and I had to breathe in fresh air I conjured up myself. Phew! So
much respite, I must say. As we drove towards ikeja, some filling stations had
queues and traffics waiting to purchase fuel, which was said to cost 500 per
litre and yet, it was as scarce as hen’s teeth. Really a dark time for the
nation, right?
The bus stopped again and as some
passengers alighted, another song wafted into the bus from a music store near
the bus stop; it was African China, the long forgotten musician, who had left
for us an unforgettable hit song. As it comforted us back then in the early
2000s, so it sure came with its hand wide open to embrace and kiss our pains away.”
Food no dey, my brother water no dey”…
more like, fuel no dey and my brother light no
come dey too. A lady decided to buy sachet water, and she was told N20 for
a sachet, she swallowed her saliva and slid her 50 naira back into her purse
with some very demeaning scowl that cursed the perpetrators of the crises. I was
very surprised. Even common sachet water? As the bus drove into the Agidingbi road, some group of people wore frowned faces and tight grimaces singing out ferociously against NEPA people. well they called it NEPA. They held up placards with leafy branches around waists and in hands of some protesters.
they were of the opinion that NEPA shouldn't bill them for light units they haven't used at all. well if you ask my opinion, I would say that that, my friend, is so unfair.
they were of the opinion that NEPA shouldn't bill them for light units they haven't used at all. well if you ask my opinion, I would say that that, my friend, is so unfair.
I got home and as usual, I went to
Iya shalewa to buy a chilled bottle of coke to assuage the raging heat my body
absorbed in such unbearable Monday hustling, and
to my dismay, the coke felt warmer than my body temperature. It promised
to set me on fire and roast me to crisped meat if I didn’t resist the
temptation to gulp it. Well, I left the coke, came upstairs and my friends
informed me the light had not been restored yet. At that moment, it was over
two days and we had been charging all our gadgets near our apartment. As I was
still unbuttoning my shirt, my neighbours came back with empty buckets
reporting that the benevolent man who had given the street free borehole water,
was undergoing the same recession the country was plunged into; he couldn’t spare
such huge amount at that time for us to enjoy one of the basic amenities which
the government had left at the base of the list of things to be attended to. The
next option was to buy satchet water and have a bath, but then, who does that? Lagos
lacks wells, unlike places like Enugu and Anambra where wells were the very
source of water for most domestic activities.
I forgot about having a bath and decided
to chat with my friends on Facebook. I sat
down and began reading very funny post and some goodbye messages on Facebook. Finally,
my phone beeped and then Airtel alerted me of shortcomings they were sure they would be
guilty of from that time on and was imploring me in advance to bear with them. Little
did I know that the beep was inevitably going to cut me off from the internet.
It was a heck of day for most Lagosians and there is no telling the amount of money
people lost in this period of economic backwater. At least, now we are
gradually steping out of the mucky pit. Let us hope Buhari will come to our
rescue with his magic wand and do his abracadabra
and have we all plunged into economic boom. Well, this evening the light just
got restored and I am happy to see people being happy.
Finally, we wait for May 29th…. it
will define the destiny of our country Nigeria.
So, here is to us every Nigerian, may our lives be far less
complicated than it is now.
Cheers!
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