My column last week was on Mexico, a country I visited last month. I tried in the article, to point out how Mexico which might become a major economic power in less than a decade, had benefited from its close proximity to the US through tourism. In fact, Mexico receives one of the world’s largest numbers of tourists in a year according to statistics. Yet, its tourism strengths —weather, historic sights and the seas —are not greater than ours. If anything, Nigeria has a more diverse weather. Gov Ambode The major differences are in our cost of living, our infrastructural development and our attitude to service. Last week’s article was not my first on our tourism potential.
And each time I tried to emphasise on the advantages of our coastal towns. There is something about nature and the ocean that frees the minds and attracts tourists in droves. Badagry in my mind, has always seemed a good example of how a coastal town can feed off an industrial city while boosting the revenue of both. I hadn’t been to Badagry in years despite the fact that I lived in Festac Town for almost 30 years. But there was a time, especially during my bachelor years that I visited the historic town often. It took about an hour from Mile Two and less from Festac to get to
Badagry and we enjoyed many picnics and a lot of sea food in the rustic town. There was Hotel De James which sprang up after the dual carriage road was constructed by Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson during the Gowon regime. It provided good food and accommodation —although being young, we took more advantage of the former — and was a pointer to the future direction of Badagry as a hospitality centre. The trips became less often as the journey became less enjoyable due to emerging pot holes and traffic—vehicular and human. But I still had fond memories of those carefree days. As they say, memories are usually the last to go.
Last Sunday, I had cause to visit Badagry again. Late Babatunde Amusu, a former Managing Director of Flour Mills Plc, and a native of Badagry, had given some land to the Catholic Church for development and shortly before he passed on, had promised to print a combined hymn and prayer book in his native ‘egun’ language for the church community. His wife had fulfilled the promise on his behalf and last Sunday, fortuitously ten years after his death, was picked for the launch. A small group, made up of close family members and friends were invited to the simple ceremony. I was not exactly looking forward to the trip as I had heard so much about the deplorable condition of the road. But declining was not even an option. It was the least I could do for somebody I considered ‘a favourite uncle’. Nothing I had heard however, prepared me for what I met. There was a time my Festac friends advised me not to come visiting because of the heavy traffic caused by trailers and bad roads. But believe me, the better part of our journey last week, was the Festac part. Everything went downhill from there. It could be the rains which had flooded the road and had made it difficult for the driver to gauge the depth of some of the pot holes, but it seemed we had more pot holes than level spots and I winced each time we entered what turned out to be a crater. And there were many. They made the journey tortuous and uncomfortable. Then there was the lawlessness and impunity of the drivers on the road—one trailer driver stopped in the middle of the road to offload some vegetables.
You can imagine the traffic that would cause on an already bad road. I tried to imagine what would happen during the week, or during the rush hour, if a Sunday morning could be like this. But it is not hard to imagine. People who live in the area say they have to leave home by 5am to have any chance of making it to work on the island on time. I also tried to imagine what kind of affection those who live in this area would have for their government. It obviously can’t be much. It is not only the roads that are deplorable. The sights and sounds are. There are these large fields of waste and filth between Festac and the Trade Fair Complex. I know Ambode’s record in terms of waste management has been less than acceptable. I also know that he made matters worse by putting a square peg in the LAWMA round hole when he installed a head who seemed to have misplaced his priorities. But I still wonder if that level of filth was not inherited. Then the setback which should have been used to beautify the road has become a home for shacks and shops. We passed Agbara Estate and I remember the greens and flowers that used to be outside its fence. They have been replaced again by shacks and shops and filth. I tried to put myself in the shoes of those living here or those who have to come here to work because if the main road is like this, then the connecting roads must be terrible.
I pity their cars almost as much as I pity them. The Lagos State Government earns about 40 billion naira a month. Its staff, especially the upper echelon, and its political office holders are among the best remunerated in the country. Yet, the vast majority of its people live in this kind of condition in various parts of the state. These are your tax payers; these are the people that voted you to power; these are your strength. I tried to put myself in the shoes of a tourist who wants to revisit the ancient town where slaves were kept before being shipped abroad. What goes through his mind as he leaves the airport and heads this way and he is made to confront these offensive sights and sounds? Does he feel safe or threatened? Does he feel expansive or claustrophobic? More importantly, will he encourage others to take this trip? I think commissioners for Works and Environment must both visit the Government Forgotten Areas of the state at least once a month to see how the people really live. The Governor too should endeavour to pay regular visits to these areas. And while we are at it, how about someone visiting Ize Iyamu Street in Oregun which is next door to Alausa. This street which has not been tarred since the Jakande era, has become an eyesore with illegal diesel sellers and mechanics taking over the place. There is money to be made in tourism; just as there is money to be made from improved communities. Like I said elsewhere, government has to sew more to reap more.
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