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My road trip to Benin City. - Part 2





Continued from last week........

Good for us the truck passed and we followed after, as time went by, hunger kicked in, the initial plan was to stop and eat but with the state of the road and congestion, its a no no. Somehow we had to find a way to eat. Envisaging the trip with the intent of making it a memorable one, the women had taken time to wake up as early as 3am to prepare jollof rice and fried chicken. The food was more tasty and pleasing compared to jaga jaga road (lols), especially the fried chicken.I was tempted to ask for more chicken just as Oliver Twist would naturally  do. (lols) but had to restrain myself.....it was that tasty.

I pondered on governance in my nation: the various mantras that had been coined to sway  us. I was deeply angry at unfulfilled promises and lies churned out on various media outlets promoting the progressive works of past and present administrations. I saw a nation probably still in the dark ages as a result of lack of planning and foresight. I saw no 'transformation' neither a 'Change'. I felt like we are a people left to survive in a jungle of a nation called Nigeria. Its had to admit this, but its the truth, the Okene - Okpella-Auchi-Ewu Isan-Akahia-Ehor-Erua-Benin road can attest to this! 

I was mentally drained and had already started thinking about the return trip! Not just me but everyone in the vehicle. Nigerians can honestly endure any situation. A rare trait among human beings. We just go on living either the government lives up to its responsibility or not. When election campaigns start, we drive in right ahead and we hold no small local government councilor to accountability. We hail and sing politicians praises to heaven while in our homes there is no functional pipe borne water! I cherished my Abuja residence, from my window pane, I looked at homes on that Okene- Auchi road and felt the sufferings of this people. Air pollution from heavy duty trucks. dusty covered houses and yet traders by the roadsides at the Okene intersection.

We had to pass through an old narrow road due to a fallen truck blocking both sides of the express lane. Its been abandoned for ages, overgrown with grasses and trees by each side, we kept faith that all will be well. After much movement we were able to link back to the express road. But not as straight forward as it's written, it involved much more. Approaching Benin City, I saw work had started on the dualization of Okene - Benin road by Dantata and Sawoe construction company. Nevertheless, its still a long way for to go. At least a show of good intent from the government.  

                                              ************************

The famous Benin city welcomed us without light, for over two months, power had been terrible! How in the world will the capital of a whole Edo state be without power in this 21st century? Very sad! We lodged at the Queen Elizabeth Royal Hotel along Sapele road, a very beautiful place but bedeviled with bad gully roads, the two nights we spent there was powered by a generator.  I was told we were lucky it was dry season, very difficult to navigate in rainy season, although I did find some ongoing road works there. In case you live in  there, its a new development area worthy of investing in. The wedding went well and by 4:30am on Sunday, we were on our way back to Abuja but this time around, the company sent us a better functional air conditioned space bus.

Lest I forget, happy married life Chima.

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