Travelogue: ‘My Train Ride’ From Ibadan to Lagos, Nigeria Can Be Great Again!! By Alli Egbesola
Travelogue: ‘My Train Ride’ From Ibadan to Lagos, Nigeria Can Be Great Again!! By Alli Egbesola.
Memoir& Travelogue :
In the beginning of this year 2020, precisely January 1, 2020, I had a lot of plans set into motion as goals for year 2020.
I had a big dream for the year as it is the targeted year for ‘Millennium Development Goals(Vision 2020)’. Some of my plans were advancing my educational career, standardizing my organization/institution that is handling the affairs of people with special needs, occupying the position of ‘NANS NATIONAL PRESIDENT’, getting more involved in humanitarian services and many more.
By January 15, everything had been perfected, operational plans designed and set in motion. I’ve gotten all I need to get all what are needed for the journey (material and non material) and we moved .
The missions and visions were becoming realities and things were going steadily to the extent that I had firm confidence that by June of this year, at least 75% of the projects for the year would have been completely done. But “He who has trust in himself only is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe and victorious”.
Alas! Things started losing form by March when COVID-19 pandemic crept into human community here in Nigeria, destroyed many things, affected our economy negatively and even took away lives of our pillars of supports and made things stagnant, then retrogression came in. And this deadly pandemic fiercely stampeded the entire world for the first time in the last 100 years. If the pandemic could affect the world powers and economic giants, then who am I ?.
As we were coming out ‘PANDEMIC’, when Nigeria was planing how to handle post COVID-19 challenges, then #ENDSARS struggles came in and it was later hijacked by the people of ulterior motives and reactionary elements meant to perpetrate evils.
Meanwhile, with all these that happened, year 2020 is a memorable and historical year for Nigerians as people and Nigeria as a Nation, and also for the whole world. Haaaaaaaaaaa, Year 2020, is full of toughing and tiring scenarios.
For me and my people, as we pray on what we are yet to get, we happily appreciate God for what we have gotten even some of it that we didn’t think of. And hopefully, we still believe that the year 2020 can still bring more ‘good’ as it is not over until it is over, even, within these few hours to go.
Of course, “when the righteous triumphs, there is a great elation but when the wicked rises to power, men go into hiding”. As Nigeria returned back to democratic era since 1999, presidents have served and left but this serving presidency, President Muhammad Buhari deserves our encomia, we need to give it to them. Although, they may not be 100% perfect in everything but where they did very well, we need to applaud them and where they are not up to our expectations, we must charge them to buckle down.
Despite all that has happened locally and globally as a result of deadly COVID-19 pandemic, when national and international assessment started coming in this December, Nigeria has improved in many areas; Nigeria is among top 25 economies in the world and first in Africa. Nigeria Stock Exchange ranked as a best performing one in the world for year 2020. Nigeria became 2nd largest tomatoes producer in Africa and 11th in the world. Third biggest rice mill in the world is located at Imota in Lagos State now nears completion, to mention few.
To crown it all is this train of a thing, yes train,”Reluweeee”, “Oko Oju irin”. I was opportuned to be on board yesterday from Ibadan to Lagos and I came back to Ibadan in company of a group of my good people for a purpose in Lagos.
I used the avenue to assess the facilities and had interface with those working there. My people this is up to standard 100%. A well structured sitting arrangement, a fully air conditioned atmosphere (that makes a village boy like me shivers, lols), standard toilet and to crown it all a standby medical team on board to take care of any emergency.
Yes, all of these are in Nigeria. If the present government can do this, who says Nigeria can’t be great again?. Let all of us be positive towards this country, it will be great again. This is serving as turning point and it is changing of most of wrong narratives. I know that there will still be some ‘Doubting Thomases’. But if you are doubting it and you are in Ibadan, 600 Naira is not too much to test it from ‘Moniya to Abeokuta’, seeing is believing, thank you . “Nigeria!, Great Nation, Good People”……. “God Bless Nigeria”.
Alli Egbesola,
Former NANS Vice President, & National Coordinator, Think Nigeria Solidarity Movement writes from Ibadan.
