FEATURE ARTICLE
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Saturday, March 2, 2024 |
[email protected] Pennsylvania, USA |
ately, I have been tracking the progress of the world-renowned biker, Noraly Schoenmaker on YouTube. This season, the social media influencer cum adventurer has chosen West Africa as the region to ride through on Alaska, her rugged trusty motorbike. The Dutch globetrotter not only has millions of followers on social media, but also hours of high-definition videos to document her journeys through the world. On her two-wheeled machine, she has covered grounds in over sixty countries on most of the world's continents. In my own little way, I have become a semi-ambassador of sorts to Itchy boots (as her page is named,) as I tell friends about her. "Have you been following the progress of the Dutch lady who is travelling through West Africa?" has become almost a regular chant for me.
Even though many people are not familiar with her, they have heard about her story when she was waylaid somewhere in South-Western Nigeria by some policemen who accosted her at a roadblock ("Give me money! Money!") They had demanded for money from her, resulting in their dismissal from the force. To this day, Nigerians remain divided as to the justification for their removal. While some applaud the move by the Police to weed their ranks of bad eggs, others argue that the police had chosen low ranking officers as scapegoats while allowing the big fishes to continue the culture of graft unchecked. The naysayers further suggest that the attempt to extort money from a white woman was why the police force had booted out the officers, and that the story might have been different if the lady in question was black. Whatever the case, it should be noted that apart from this isolated incident, everywhere else this cyclist went in Nigeria, she received love, friendship, cooperation and admiration all through her journey. This adventure has been received with mixed reviews among the people I shared it with. Even though many of my friends watched her progress with admiration and marveled at her bravery, others thought it foolhardy, reckless and of no apparent purpose. A pastor was touted as saying that she could be a spy sent on a dangerous mission by the West. Whatever her motive, no one can take away her bravery and daring mixed in with a spirit of adventure from which we can all learn. This piece, however, is not to explore the details of Nooraly's ride or its intent, real or imagined. It is about the glaring lack of attention the West African nations have collectively agreed to pay their roads. As one stays transfixed to videos of her journey, one glaringly notices the state of disrepair these roads have fallen. There are thoroughfares that almost cease to exist after a few torrents of rainfall and there was not a road that has not fallen prey to the persistent attack of erosion. It is tragic to say that none of these roads was spared the scourge of lack of maintenance from the powers that be.
Road networks are vehicles on which progress arrive at communities. The better the access roads, the faster goods, information, commerce, and people can transit in and out of such locales. Conversely, roads that are impassable and tough to travel on, are likely to receive less patronage, thus depriving the communities they connect, a chance to develop. This explains why good roads often rank with electricity and water supply as the priorities of a community. Although the Dutch adventurer had deliberately stuck to the backroads for her journey, that is not to say that the main roads are any better than what we have seen in her videos. Where most main roads had enjoyed the privilege of having asphalt laid over them, such tarred roads are often pockmarked with potholes, cracks, missing sections and giants gullies in some cases. Sub Saharan Africa collectively has the worst roads on record and that is a matter of fact. In my travels across Nigeria, I have happened upon some communities that are devoid of any motorable roads and access to such places is only possible on foot, bicycle or motorbike. Given such a circumstance, one cannot help but wonder how much development can be reach them when there are no roads. In Africa, it is not enough to construct a road. The blueprint must also include long term plans for the maintenance of that road. It is in this department that we are always found wanting as a people. The works ministry, which has traditionally existed for day-to-day maintenance of the roads, have become mere rubber stamps and has not had any mandate or equipment to repair any roads for a long time now. Case in point: the federal road passing through Otukpo, Benue State has all but been erased off the map despite the presence of the works ministry. But then Otukpo is just one out of many other towns to suffer the same fate. I am still traumatized by my journey on the Okigwe-Aba Road in 1997, on my way to Port Harcourt. I found myself asking: 'What did these people do to the government for them to be so neglected? Were they the only ones who took up arms against the government in the civil war of long ago, haba why?' As someone who has crisscrossed the country, that road takes the cake hands down when it comes to crowning the worst road in the country.
Through Noraly's lenses, one begins to wonder if some roads have received any attention since their countries of location became independent nations. One can almost begin to feel sorry for the people as each African nation tries to outdo the other in who can boast of the worst roads. There were even episodes when her motorbike was badly damaged as a result of navigating such roads. One can only wonder that, if these roads can do such damages to a commuter using it for just one time, how unimaginable the damage to vehicles that ply such death traps on a day-to-day basis? Noraly's journey opens our eyes to the fact that our problems are man-made and deliberate. Given the volume of resources awash in West Africa, there can be no excuse why any region, no matter how remote, should not enjoy the benefits of good roads. Nigerian roads, in particular, have defied all efforts to tame it. Reputable construction companies such as Julius Berger, RCC, PW and Rockbridge have all been defeated in their attempts to bell the cat, leaving that long brown snake still standing and consuming national resources. It should also be pointed out that not even the reputation of the most hardworking ministers of Works such as Adisa, Kontagora, Amaechi or even Fashola, could clean the Augean Stables and hand Nigerians good road networks on which to carry out their business. One will not blame the superstitious amongst us if they float the rumor that perhaps, our roads are accursed and fated to forever remain in the dilapidated state that they are. Itchy Boots have so much to teach us about leaving our comfort zones and exploring the world around us. For the girls, she can teach them to be bold and fearless and follow in her footsteps; for students, she can teach them that travel is also a part of education, and that the world does not end in the pages of a book alone but that one must look up and put into practice what they have learnt as well. As she continues her journey through the African continent, the rest of us are watching, learning and taking notes. But oh, those dreadful West African roads… sigh!
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