2 2. Travelling The Delta (1/2)
IGHO travelled two days before his parents. They wanted him to have arrived safely before they could also travel abroad. Daddy took him to the airport and bought his ticket. It took a long time before the plane finally announced departure in Lagos. There was a delay at the local wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport 2. Igho had many reasons to be upset. Why did airlines behave like that after you have paid so much money? To make matter worse, he was not going to his preferred destination. On top of that, he had to be delayed for over two hours! He also noticed how other pa.s.sengers felt unhappy for being unduly delayed.
When the plane finally landed in Warri airport, Igho felt relieved and picked up his bag from the overhead locker and headed for the arrivals terminal. Outside, he looked at the car park. It was not that big. A thick forest surrounded it on all sides. It was as though the airport and the car park had been dropped into the middle of the forest. All bush, he said to himself.
See what carelessness has done to you, Igho, he said to himself under his breath. He hesitated a bit as he looked around. Then he saw his uncle. Uncle Utomudo saw him at the same time. He gave a broad smile. But Igho only had a half smile and walked quickly to him. Utomudo folded him in his embrace.
”Digwo, Uncle Utomudo!” Igho said in greeting.
”Vre doooh! You have grown so big!” his uncle ruffled his head and laughed. ”What does my sister feed you with these days?”
”Uncle, how is my cousin, Onome?” Igho asked. They were together the last time he visited Ozoro.
”Oh, Onome is fine. She is in the car, expecting you.”
In the car, Igho and Onome exchanged pleasantries. Igho liked his cousin. She was nice and explained a lot of things to him. Igho was always fascinated at how she knew so much about so many things. Igho also told her many things about how a lot of things were done in Lagos.
Igho and Onome chatted all the way to Ozoro. They took time to read almost all the road signs they saw and the names of the towns they pa.s.sed. So, from Warri through Agbarho to Ugh.e.l.li, Iyede, Emevor, Otor-Owhe, Akiowhe, Isoko Roundabout and then to Ozoro they chatted as they travelled and asked many questions, too.
But Igho was also angry that there were so many military checkpoints on the road. He observed that the soldiers just loitered about and didn't actually check any of the vehicles. They wore bored look in their faces and just waved vehicles along. But the queues at the checkpoints were long. A checkpoint greeted them soon after leaving the airport. There was another one after Efurun roundabout, and then another before Agharho and then two more before they arrived Ugh.e.l.li.
Suddenly, Igho said he was depressed. Onome wanted to know why.
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”Well, because everywhere we've pa.s.sed from Warri till now looks the same,” ”there's nothing interesting to see. There is too much dirt and ugliness on the roadsides, and many potholes everywhere. In Europe or America, you can tell one town or city from another from the way they are planned. But all the towns look the same in Nigeria—ugly and dirty! My Math teacher once said Nigerians are bad planners. I think I agree with him. Only a few estates in Lagos are planned and look tidy.”
”Daddy said people in government are responsible for it. He said they are there for the money they can steal and not the work they should do,” Onome said. ”Isn't that what you said, Daddy?”
”Yes, dear!” Uncle Utomudo said. ”That is why we are not as developed as America and countries in Europe even though we have more money than most of them.”
”But why are we like that, Uncle? Why can't we plan our towns and cities properly?”
”Igho, I have been asking myself the same questions, too!” he said. ”But I think we are bad managers. We hope young ones like two of you will make the difference when you become adults and leaders someday!”
”So, Daddy, are you saying you and other adults have failed? Is that what you are saying?”
”I'm afraid, yes, dear. We have failed all of us. We have failed young people like you the more because we have done nothing good to point to. And you know what is worse, we have not provided you good example to follow!”
They drove on in silence as they took the turning from the East-West that leads to Port Harcourt to the Ugh.e.l.li-Asaba Road that goes through Isoko to Ndokwa, Ogwas.h.i.+-Ukwu and then Asaba. The road was worse on this stretch as the construction that started many years ago had been abandoned. The old patch of the road still being used was badly worn; the second lane was yet to receive attention. It was a struggle pa.s.sing through the road; Igho pitied the poor car as it made its way through it.
From Iyede junction through Emevor to Owhe and Aki-Owhe to Isoko Roundabout, it was the same. Uncle Utomudo had to slow down many times to avoid oncoming cars and negotiate the many gullies right in the middle of the road. They turned left and faced Ozoro after Isoko Roundabout until they arrived.
* * *
THEY connected Ozoro from Notre Dame College Road, popularly called NDC Road, a famous secondary school in the town, which Uncle Utomudo attended. He drove slowly and pointed out a few interesting places to them, but they were all schools. After they left NDC Road behind, they got to the Anglican Grammar School, which used to be an all-girls secondary school; Igho said it was his mother's former school. Back then it was called Anglican Girls Grammar School (AGGS). But things have since changed, Uncle Utomudo explained.
Then they got to Amawhe Primary School, which shared the same fence with the old Ozoro Polytechnic, which was closed down years ago before the new Delta State Polytechnic along Ugh.e.l.li-Asaba Road was established. Then Ekwerigbe Primary School, Utomudo's former school also, came into view. Opposite Ekwerigbe is the old Nigerian Telecommunications Company or NITEL, with its tall mast that rises into the sky.
”Does it still work, Uncle? Igho asked.