My experience in the 5 days tour in Lagos which began from 6th November, 2018 to 10th November, 2018 with it’s foot print still fresh in my heart. It was an excursion of 2017/2018 sets of Kogi State University to Badagry Lagos to see the slave trade relics and was tagged “Walk of a life time”. It is in reality the journey of a life time.
Itinerary
- Day 1:Tuesday 6th Nov, 2018
Arrival at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities by 6:00am. By 7:30am the four buses to convey the students arrived. Also Isah Jeremiah (President) History and International Studies Association (HISSA), Executives and Course representatives for each level came. Upon their arrival, the Journey of a lifetime started. I sat by the window which gave me a clear view of the whole tour it was a perfect spot.
Then tags were given to students that do not have school identity card with the inscription “The Participant of 2017/2018 excursion tour to Lagos state” each bus were allocated lecturers. In my bus, was Dr. Leonard Abuh . We prayed and the Journey kicked off by 10:05am with so much joy and enthusiasm.
At Owo the tyre of our bus bursted, then we stopped by a restaurant called The perfect match restaurant in order for it to be repaired and also ate and charged our phones
At Akure, a little entertainment was set up bye the students in which music was played from an mp3 device and people took hold of the dance floor. One particular guy Samuel aka Saka killed the show when he danced hilariously with his Agbada to ease the tension hovering over us.
We also drove pass alot of breathtaking Universities and glittering structures. Things that are mostly sold at Akure are yam, Oranges, plantains, garri, palm oil and bush meats which got us all salivating.
Having slept and woken up at about 12:11pm we got to Lagos. Lagos is popularly known as “Eko” or “Lasgidi” which is the ”Centre of Excellence” in Nigeria with smooth roads, streetlights and interconnected bridges with its hustling and bustling. A 24hours city “Ekokin sun” means Lagos does not sleep.
When we got to Lagos by 12:11pm the city was still very much alive as it was still functioning. I was marveled!
We saw the statue of Awolowo, by 1:05am we located mile 2, student took the advantage of the streetlight to snap selfie; we lodge at Galaxy hotel and one & two where we retire from the day’s stress.
- Day 2: Badagry Tour
We woke up by 4:00am, freshened up and left for the bus by 6:00am. I must confess my eyeballs were as big as eggrolls. We got to a road side and waited for other buses. The guys came down to eat rice and stew in the open which is N150 for immediate consumption while the ladies bought take away at the rate of N200 others took to selfie and we left by 7:05am to Badagry.
We passed Alaba International Market. As pointed out by Dr. Leonard Abuh the market was big and crowdy, two other buses got stranded we waited and took hold of selfie stick at the gate of Lagos state University when they locate us we went together;there is a huge stench by the roadside that could make people faint, cows and pigs ate boldly on the refuse dump beside the main road.
We also passed Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education by 9:00am and we arrived at Badagry 10:22am. There a man (our host guide) was sent to direct us to Seriki Abass Williams Slave Port which is the Brazzilian Baracon where the remains of the exchanged items during the trans-atlantic slave trade welcome us. He told us a brief story that the owner is his grandfather and took us to the room where 40 slaves were kept and pictures to show the gruesome torture too.
Afterwards, we headed to the First Storey Building in Nigeria where Bishop Ajayi Crowther lived that had the first translation of the Bible, miracle well, missionaries , the first bank and many more.
Leaving there, we entered a boat to the Point of No Return. It was a mechanical boat been driven like a car. Accross the beach, we trekked for about 30 minutes before we got to the Attenuation Well which history has it that it contain spiritual power that made slaves lose their memory for 3 months and regain consciousness after getting to new world.
We proceeded with the tutor for another 15minutes to the Trans-Atlantic Ocean. The ocean was said to be very aggressive and a man with dreadlock was parading to and fro only on boxer chanting God knows what by the ocean, people said he is responsible for stopping the ocean from overflowing it’s banks some took water along. We took lots of pictures befor returning but i was alread I was exhausted from trekking so I went straight to the bus, bought drink at the rate cheaper than the amount it is been sold at Anyigba. Unfurtunately, the bus developed fault, we missed our way, and later got to the hotel by 9:32pm.
- Day 3:
On thursday we left for Victoria Island by 9:45am. Unity was a big problem for the drivers and some just speed off without waiting for others. With this the students in my bus suggested we pray because due to that we have been missing our ways. By the way I saw a non-AEDC man climbing the electric pole with no protection doing God knows what on it. LOL!
We passed through many mini markets, magnificent structures, great designs and barracks. We also passed through the National Theatre by 10:32am. We got to the Institute of International Affairs in Victoria Island by 10:35am, then matched into the Conference Hall. It was very neat, beautiful and glittering. We were addressed by two personalities Dr. L.A. Fagunyi and we were spoken to extensively on International Politics and Law, politics and integration, trade, treaty, National Climatic Change, Kioto protocol, globalization and lots more. Forum for asking questions was allowed and each question answered extensively. We were given 5 valid academic books. The students were of the opinion that they were generous and it should be encouraged. We were shown the library andmy goodness! It was comprehensive and orderly environment for reading.
Leaving there, students took to pictures of all kinds then we moved further to Shoprite where we bought loads of goodies. The building was awesome, filled with a lot of attractive goods not without selfie stick at work all thanks to God for Taiwo my course mate who brought her selfie stick, I personally snap overdose once we were done we left for our respective hotels.
- Day 4:
We left for the Palace of the Onu of Igala at Lagos state by 10;03am, we stopped to buy fuel, during this time we recounted our experiences the previous day in the bus. Thereafter, we saw trucks that has been parked for months and cars no longer road worthy used as taxi to convey people. the most striking of all the experiences was the way Lagosians walk boldly and motorcyclists drive dangerously in between trailers without fear.
We passed many markets and bustops. In Oyinbo ultra modern market were cleaners assigned to sweep and take care of it at work, on the Third Mainland Bridge a manual weaving of gele with lagoon underneath, we passed many street such as Bariga, Onabanjo, Adebare, Peluola and lots more.
By 11:34am we got to Palace of OnuIgala in which we were been addressed by his Personal Assistant before the arrival of the King and an interpreter from the student. At the Kings arrival we all stood up chanted some words, he was young and vibrant which got us amazed. The king addressed us thereafter we were offered water and took pictures with him. Then we were informed that it was late and we will not be going to the beach anymore initially we thought it was a joke not until we diverted to the way that leads to the hotel that students started talking but we didn’t later go,we were later lodged to a different hotel where we rested for the day.
- Day 5: The day we travelled back to Kogi State University, Anyigba
We woke by 5:00am did hygiene and pack our luggage. We waited for the bus that arrived by 6:10am and the ladies were complaining that the guys ought to come early are always delaying, we prayed and the journey of a life time back home began. We were held at traffic due to diesel spillage from a fallen truck from 8:00am-8:45am, We passed through many Universities and breath taking structures.
On getting to Ibadan they sell mostly Robb, bread and chewing stick also Gurumaraji Palace which is painted red. At Ibadan Expressway, Alhaji Serkina Mosque of Yoruba land at Oyo state, there we dropped to eat because the journey was so stressful that I had to rotatingly stand for Saka who had no where to seat. We bought fried plantain and yam; you need to see how students rushed it then we arrived at Anyigba late in the night, alighted at the school gate where we conveyed ourselves to our respective destinations.
It was a wonderful experience and one that I can’t forget….
GOD BLESS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES & EXECUTIVES!!!
GOD BLESS KOGI STATE UNIVERSITY, ANYIGBA!!!
GOD BLESS NIGERIA!!!
