MY LAGOS EXPERIENCE

My name is Ukwuoma Obele and I live in Lagos. I want to share my Lagos experience;

Lagos is known as the city that never sleeps. The day begins early in the morning around 5.30am. I used to work in a place called Ikeja(the capital of Lagos).So I would leave early at 5.30am to catch the BRT bus to avoid being late to work. I was living a distance of two hours from my place of work. Inside the BRT bus,there were a lot of people also on their way to their place of business or job. People were always in a hurry to catch the BRT bus because if one was late, one would have to stand. Sometimes I would sleep in the bus while commuting to work. I would get to work quite early because I took the BRT.

My job would sometimes take me to the island. I remember passing the third mainland bridge that took me to the island and the sight of the high rise buildings that indicated that one had reached the island; the center of economic activities for the whole nation. Lagos is peculiar in that some old buildings are often found existing alongside the high rise buildings with the market overflowing onto the road.

I also remember my office was in GRA very close to the popular Oshodi market where one could get all sorts of goods. I remember what Oshodi used to look like before former governor Fashola cleared Oshodi. I also remember Fashola banning bikes from GRA because they were messing up the drainage systems.

I remember coming back from work one particular day and boarding a danfo bus. The conductor asked me "owo da"
meaning where is your transport fare and I turned my bag to give him my money only for me to discover that my phone, money and withdrawal book had all disappeared from the back of my bag where I kept them carelessly. I had been robbed without even knowing when.

I remember seeing a beggar at the bus park one afternoon. He was hale and hearty but was badly dressed. He was asking for TFare to get to his destination. He wasn't asking for much so I gave him a little money only for me to come to the park on a different day to see this same beggar asking for TFare to get to the same destination. I was hurt but such is Lagos!

I remember going to the state university one afternoon to photocopy some documents and while crossing the road I stepped on human waste.urrgh! how digusting. But such is a familiar sight in lagos even in Ikeja especially on sidewalks and in drainages.

Lagos is home to all. From the rich and affluent who usually stay on the island to the comfortable down to the poor and struggling.

Once again, my name is Ukwuoma Obele and this is my Lagos experience.
PHOTO CREDIT: INTERNET