The Truth and Pain Behind 2012 Protest in Nigeria.
By: Idowu-Agida Dare
Tags: Personal, Pain, Life Lessons, Experience, Learning

I have travelled out of Lagos State to Ondo State in December on a visit to Akoko for the first time in my life. The lifestyle of these people seems to be very different from the metropolitan. They’re too relaxed and accommodating.

Suppose you are not a massive consumer of food substances. Please, don’t visit this neighborhood; you’ll get a treat with varieties of meals. I can caution anyone trying to weight loss to keep off. Getting more substance in the body to them give strength to engaging in daily activities. Please, am with a straight face here.

The Lifestyle and Relationship of The Community.

These people have extensive farmlands for cultivating of different consumable items. Produce you can’t take away from this geographical region is their love for “yam”. You can see it everywhere in the town. It is a daily delicacy, and they can choose to eat it for the whole day without stopping.

Yam has been part of these people so much that they are not satisfied with every meal until pounded yam is ready.

Pounding yam is not a big deal to them once there are a mortar and pestle. I gave it a try; I was sorry I did. My palms got swelling and hurt. I made a mess of the yam I was pounding, you can see lots of knots, and I puzzled how come they did as if it’s that easy.

What can I do now like a bat out of hell, I admit that their consistency has paid off after all they’re enjoying the meal each time.

The New Year Celebration From Here…

To end 2011 with a Christmas and start the New Year in my friend’s home town in Ondo State, Akoko south-east. I went around the neighbourhoods to catch a good grip of what’s happening and event in that town. It has a few ancient historical backgrounds. The road link Benin and Abuja road. There are a lot of commuters’ ploughing the road linking to these towns and villages.

I was shown a well. It claimed the lives of the staffs’ of Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company. The well is spoken to have a life anaconda living inside it a long time ago. It gave the construction company a tough fight of their life, and many of them died on site. That project seems to be successful.

I took pictures from the site with my old Nokia phone. But the image is too blur. I hope that time was now that we have different versions of phones with a sharp lens and cameras. We would have shot a Nollywood best-selling home videos by now.

The plan is to spend eight days on the trip and be back to Lagos on the second or third day of the New Year. One thing leads to another in our nation, and the country was in a standstill. A situation that made me spend an extra week and a few days in Ondo State. By now, I am already missing the style and life of Lagos bustling and hustling.

When I have calculated the days, I’ll be off from this trip, now see me. With an intension to kick start the new small business that I’ve nursed since the previous year. But put to a waterloo. God sent the saving angels that came from heaven unannounced. Don’t worry. I will tell you how it all happened. It is my story.

The Truth and Pain Being Stranded.

On early that morning we have packed all bags and baggage to hit the road from Isua, Akoko over to Ojota motor car. But in particular the commercial bus driver we had arranged to take us home turn down the offer. For all that, it is an unbinding agreement when he brought us.

He has agreed to get us back to Lagos thereby we calculated his trip to, and fro for every three days, he’ll return per trip. Which calculation we did accurately, but he won’t dare drive on this day. Famous Gani Fawehinmi SAN, Freedom Park at Ojota, Lagos. From the 2nd January 2012–14th January 2012 the whole nation was on a halt.

Truth and Pain Behind 2012 Protest.

Beginning of the New Year but this year is starting with a different form. Protest owning to the norm of the Federal Government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

So we turn on the television for a caption and glimpse. I couldn’t believe my eyes from what was on the screen where a crowd of people. It is enormous at the freedom park in Ojota on that faithful day. It is a protest, I have seen differ protest while in the higher institute with various Aluta continue.

I have never seen such a force that is so strong. Never seen such an event before; I mean this type of protest. Everyday people keep increasing in number. They were all there from morning till the night of every other day. The number escalates daily with acceleration in the one week and five days period.

Reasons Behind 2012 Protest in Nigeria.

Occupy Nigeria anchored the protest. It was published and transmitted by all the mainstream media. The why of the protest is because of the removal of subsidy on petroleum products. Secondly, a 120% increase in the price of Petrol. The corruption in Government & public service.

The inhuman treatment of Nigerians by Government & Security agents. Lastly, there’s a high rate of poverty in the country. Occupy Nigeria, which is a socio-political protest movement in Nigeria. At that time, the organisation made a tremendous impact which was felt. You can see the unity amongst the protesters out there.

The group’s demand was reversing of the removal of subsidy on petroleum products. And, that the Federal Government should cut politician allowances.

Protests started from 2nd January 2012 lasted till 14th January 2012, which is one week and five days. So, I was in Ondo State all the while watching the event as televised on the national television.

Pain Behind 2012 Protest in Nigeria.

After one week and five days, we heard that the protest had ended. The Government has responded to the call of the protesters across the country. I have confirmed very well to make sure it is safe to kick off the journey back Lagos. Yes! I got the reply from Lagos that everything has come back to normal and protest ended.

Off we go. I and my friend board the vehicle but this time, not the former driver we’ve planned with at first. He couldn’t be found again, so we go for the available commuter. We started the journey at 7:30 am and arrived Lagos at 3.pm (it’s usually an 8hours journey).

At the spot of the protest in Ojota, I can still see every evidence of a decadent movement into that area. Few people were still at the location, and there are wastes litters around that section. I can hear people talking about the event. They say, “who would believe that this place with a lot of people yesterday can be empty today”.

Right inside the motor pack was the same story. I keep hearing different testimonies from people trying to gist us that are out of Lagos. I thought within myself that if I had been around, I would have joined in the struggle too.

It is almost the third or fourth week of the first month of the year. I have been thinking about my ends meet. How do I make a living out of my small business in this year 2012? I got a call that my service would be needed in Ipori, Lagos so I have to there the next day.

My Experience Aftermath 2012 Protest in Nigeria.

I had waked very early to prepare myself. I pack my tools into my laptop bag (pc, external hard drive, modem etc.). With excitement am on my way to Iponri from the Mainland, Ikeja underbridge. I board the popular Lagos yellow bus aka Danfo that is going to Ojuelegba. I’d join another bus to link Iponri from Ojuelegba since there is no direct bus to Iponri from Ikeja.

There are only about three or four people on the bus, so I joined them: the conductor and the transport union worker’s agents at the park AKA Agbeero. Keep chanting Ojuelegba, Ojuelegba enter with your change ooo. If you no get change no enter oh, per usual. I sat at the last seat at the back even though all the of them are makeover.

The wood is crafted with iron bars to hold and pin the rectangular wood firm so it will not fall. It is usually fourteen passengers vehicle. People were coming in gradually, but I noticed a man entered at the rear the last seat where I sat, so we became two. Then I see a boy selling water in sachet popularly called pure water (on his head). He came by the side window that I was sitting to sell.

The man bought one and gave the boy ten-naira. He then told me to collect one too with the remaining balance of five naira from the boy. I rejected at first, but he said, “it is water now, didn’t you drink water?”, reluctantly, I took it and drank it. I realised the bus is already on motion with almost seven or eight people inside the bus. He’ll be picking passengers at every bus stop, which is their usual gesture. That is why most passengers get to their appointment very late most time. Minding the heavy traffic, you’ll meet on the way too.

I sat there, hoping that I will reach my destination on time. But was tragedic noon for me. The only thing I could remember was seeing a woman alit at Leventis bus stop. No less far-fetched neighbouring to the Army Cantonment Onigbongbo, Maryland. The next time I could be back to my senses. I was on admission to hospital where I spend three days before being discharged. The doctor says I am having some toxics in my nerves. How did it happen? When did I consume that?

It all happened right on that bus when the man offered me a sachet of water to drink. They are team players, including the boy selling the water. Can you imagine that? What a wicked world. I lost all my tools to the event; the only item they didn’t take from me was my pocket bible and my mobile phone. I don’t even know what has happened to me because I was unconscious. All other statements below here are the aftermath of what happened to me.

The Helpers God Sent My Way To Rescue Me.

They dumped me at the Idumota Market on Lagos Island. But these women trading their goods by the road side show sympathy and saved me. They said at; first, “they thought he is drunk and decided to lay on the main road”. Imagine, suppose a vehicle was coming on high speed at that time I would have died.

Still, despite what the men that are also selling in Idumota said to them “leave him, he is drinking alcohol”. Yet they moved close to examine if it is accurate and they didn’t smell anything like that around me. May God Almighty bless these women. They are very bold and determined to help without any string attached, and they did it, I am alive. They are my angel; God sent them to my rescue. They searched for me and found my mobile in my pocket. They started finding any right way to contact anyone close to me, and they did find my friend’s number.

It was after I left the hospital that I went there to thank them. If only you see how these women were so happy to see me. Look at the joy in their eyes. Their hearts are pure and sparkling. Good people are not hard to identify. One of them named Fatima. She happens to be a secondary school mate with my friend, who followed me to appreciate and thank them. See how they have reconnected after many years.

They didn’t seize to amuse me again by rejecting my gift: saying I shouldn’t worry myself about it. I cannot forget these women on Idumota Market, Lagos Island.