As millions of Nigerians hit the roads to celebrate Christmas with loved ones, the real measure of a successful festive season goes far beyond free bus rides as promised by governors from some Southeast states, and other public gestures.
No doubt, the free bus ride promised by Alex Otti and Hope Uzodinma, governors of Abia and Imo State respectively, are good financial respite for many people who desire to travel this festive season.
The commercial transporters at Okota, Ejigbo, Iyana Ipaja and other designations across Lagos State are charging N55,000 to N60,000 for buses, while Sena cars have hiked their fares from N70,000 upwards to Onitsha, Enugu and Owerri, among other destinations.
A family of four under the new rates will pay not less than N220,000 to N280,000 just for inter-states transportation alone, besides what it would cost them to get to their various home-towns, to meet with their ‘kith and kin’.
The free buses obviously are good omens because they will lift up the financial burdens from the shoulders of many families in the face of the fiscal challenges in the country.
This initiative of the governors is worth applauding and emulating by other governors from the southeast, such as Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra.
However, as good as the free bus may be, the persistent challenges of bad road networks and insecurity undermines the benefits of the kind gestures of Otti and Uzodinma.
Michael Ogbonna told BusinessDay that he spent almost 24 hours on transit from Lagos to Abakiliki.
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“I took the night bus on Saturday, December 20, with the hope of arriving home early Sunday morning, but we’re stuck in traffic due to bad roads along Benin-Ore road till the following day. We finally got home on Sunday evening,” he said.
Ogechi, sharing her ordeal, stated, “This is the longest journey in my life. Left Lagos by 3.30am and got to Ijebu Ode by 5am, before our new tyre busted as we encountered a pothole.
“After buying another new tyre at a high rate, we left Ijebu Ode and got to Benin by 11am after the fixing of tyre took us three hours.”
According to her narratives, they had to swerve into an untired road in order to continue with their journey home as the expressway was unmotorable and over congested.
“After running inside the bush in Benin for hours, the children were tired, had a headache and plenty of questions from the people who I have optimised their profile and getting ready for interviews. We got to Agbor by 12.15am and quickly lodged in a hotel.
“The lonely road, few cars who escaped the express, they just speed off. I asked myself so many what ifs? The kids were asking me, where are we still going? I hissed more than one million times yesterday. The journey continues to ala Owerri,” she said.
Similarly, Abu Ojochide left Lagos on Sunday, December 21, at about 3am and got stuck at Benin from 1pm till 7pm, in the midst of the whole traffic one of our convoy got lost we had to wait for the car at Agbor, and later got to Anambra at about past 5am.
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Sine Royale left Iyana Ipaja by 6:20am on Saturday, December 20, got to Ore by 2:45pm and got to the end of the bypass by 7:05pm to meet a stand still holdup.
“I went to Benin to sleep and left again by 5:05am December 21 only to meet the same holdup. I got to Onitsha by 2:45pm,” Royale stated.
Meanwhile insecurity is still a topical issue in the southeast, which is a concern to many people desiring to be with their loved ones this season.
Report has it that the dreaded Ugwuogo-Opi road in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State which ordinarily would take 49 minutes from Opi junction to Abakpa-Nike has over 32 security checkpoints and it still records kidnappings on daily basis.
Just like the Umuneochi junction along Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway, the Ugwuogo Nike by Opi Nsukka road is a kidnapping hotbed.
Except the various state governments take the needed precautions, people are not spared this Christmas season. Recently, three buses fully loaded with travellers were kidnapped at Ugwuogo Nike by Opi Nsukka road in Enugu State.
According to an eye-witness report, this kidnap happened less than 200 kilometres to a military checkpoint, and has several police and army checkpoints.
The undeniable fact is, when the celebrations fade, the message remains clear: free buses may ease travel, but safe roads and protected lives are what make the Christmas journey truly worthwhile.
