SoulKate Vol 7: Vehicular and two wheeler madness in Lagos

By Kate Henshaw


Driving to and fro from my different locations for the past one week and I pondered why some people who drive( be it drivers or the car owner) behave like mad people who have no idea of what it takes to be on the road.

There are clear markings and signs on the
roads which are totally ignored . Do they not know that these signs are there for a reason? One of such signs is the zebra crossing. Woe betide you if you as a pedestrian think that the zebra crossing is meant for you, oh no! Definitely not! It is just there for show and unless you are given a chance to walk on it, kindly wait by the side walk till at least the traffic light indicates red and you are safe to go across the road.

Driving towards the toll gates on the Lekki -Epe expressway, there are lanes marked out as you approach them but it is surprising to still see some cars before you get to the barrier trying to squeeze in ahead of you when they could have queued behind. Smarty pants who feel that you are the fool for driving properly. Or is it the car that comes across all the way from the left lane into the extreme right lane and just nips in before you into the barrier!
What are the rules with regards to the roundabout? Surely the car already in the roundabout has the right of way and the oncoming car on the right should give way, not so? Oh! but not in Lagos. It is the fastest and smartest formula one racer that gets ahead and they speed past you with a look of mockery on their faces! With the construction of the new link bridge leading to Falomo from Ozumba Mbadiwe, traffic has eased up on that stretch of the road and I see that the traffic authorities have had to put down cones down the side to stop people from coming right to front to cut in but still they do.

Sometimes I wish I was a traffic warden! I would fill up my quota of offenders faster than you can say speed! There would be no begging me for mercy and my popularity would beat that of Madam Agnes the very dedicated traffic warden at the traffic lights by the law school. I have seen her shake her stick quite vigorously at bad drivers who narrowly escape her with a cross look on her face.
The two wheeler ones called Okadas are not left out. They are a necessary evil I have come to find out but who regulates how you go about getting a license to ride one? They have been and continue to be a menace and I daresay that the authorities do not just care about the experience of the rider but about the monies they collect from them at every point. Driving along Ajose Adeogun 2weeks ago, I could see them being stopped by some guys wearing vests and extorting money from them? Where does this money go to, I wonder and who are these men.?

What happened to the law about helmets? Did it get forgotten or it is not longer the rave as more than enough helmets have been sold by the contractor who got the job to supply and those who have benefitted from passing the bill, thereby getting a cut from the contractor.
They have rules of their own, the traffic lights do not concern nor apply to them as they drive straight through and the traffic wardens just look on thoroughly exhausted and lackadaisicasl about it all. How many can you really stop and prosecute? They are like a swarm of bees and they sting you constantly when they bash and scratch your car trying to go through a very tiny gap between two cars, and in so doing break your side mirror. Many people I know have complained about them but there seems to be no organizing the chaos they bring to the roads. I guess we continue to suffer and smile while we mend the scratches and dents in our vehicles.

On another note, it is very disheartening to note the lack of street lights on the bridge all the way through from the 3rd Mainland till you get to the Alfred Rewane exit and then you get some respite. It is quite alarming and dangerous and each time I have to ply that road at night I say my prayers for the good lord to lead me through to the end of the tunnel.
It is a pleasure, however, and law abiding, to see some motorists stop at the traffic lights at night even when there is no traffick police watching. Doing the right thing at the right time is not that hard. It means that you care about your life and it does reflect in your lifestyle.

Finally, I bid farewell to a thespian of note, a father, humor merchant, erudite communicator , dogged, hardworking and all round happy go lucky man, Sam Loco Efe as he begins the final journey to the other side this week. There can only be one and it was a privilege to work with you. I say boy! Goodnight Uncle Sam!

SOURCE: http://www.katehenshaw.com

SoulKate Vol 4: Independence Blues

Written By Kate Henshaw (Nollywood Actress)

Nigeria Independence @51

“ARISE O COMPATRIOTS, NIGERIA’S CALL OBEY, TO SERVE OUR FATHERLAND, WITH LOVE AND STRENGTH AND FAITH. THE LABOUR OF OUR HEROES PAST, SHALL NEVER BE IN VAIN, TO SERVE WITH HEART AND MIGHT, ONE NATION BOUND IN FREEDOM, PEACE AND UNITY”

Here we go again. Another October 1^st is upon us. It brings to the fore our yearnings for a nation worth its salt, blessed with abundant human and natural resources to re-assess itself and see if it is where it should be. Well are we? Methinks not! It is not about declaring a public holiday; it is about the next step, where do we go from here?

Nigeria is culturally diverse. From simple logic, it is easy to understand the galaxy of needs, consumption pattern, aspirations, opportunities and values. The consequences of the diversity of Nigeria, and its people are many and complex. It is because of the richness of its culture, diversity of people, abundance of resources that Nigeria could and should be in a much better place than it is today. Why is it that after independence we seem to be sinking lower in our status as the giant of Africa? We cannot seem to hold our head high in the comity of nations. Our green passport is still looked at with disrespect and distrust. We have no other country but this one, no matter where we go and how very well accepted we are outside of this country where we have sought greener pastures, there is no place like home. When I travel outside of Nigeria like many of us do, I see how we consciously adjust ourselves and fall in line with laid down rules and procedures in other countries, we have no choice or we feel the full weight of the law, this is because they have a system that works. What is our system of operation as a nation?

Why is it that the basic infrastructure is so inadequate to make a meaningful impact on the quality of lives of the citizenry? Power supply is totally unreliable and inadequate hence the high cost of production for companies which is eventually passed down to the consumer. The people resort to alternative power supply(generators and inverters), millions do not have access to potable water, the environment is filthy( Ibadan as an example), the roads are unsafe but billions of naira have been poured down a bottomless pit that has refused to fill up our potholes on the roads leading to numerous loss of lives, both the ones reported or not, medical care is a far cry from the standard recommended by the World Health Organization, the standard of education continues to fall as we continue to experience brain drain in the search for greener pastures, personal safety and good quality of life as a whole because of very poor social guarantees.

We are still bound to our colonial masters as we crave accolades from foreigners who continue to come in droves into a country that is not ‘safe’ to make millions of ‘danger money’ and refuse to leave. No meaningful and substantial project is delivered without the involvement of foreign partners. When we see ‘white’ it is right and ‘black’ is wrong. We will never make any headway this way. Granted foreign hands have had and continue to have, negative effects on our situations. But we have seen many countries with similar or worse experiences, yet they get out of their situations and take their destiny in their own hands. Examples can be found in many Asian countries, where wizardry in making economic and social progress has earned them the tag “Asian Tigers”. The Government and citizens made a turn-around by re-awakening the vision for their countries, genuine renewal of sense of duty to country and self, hard work, transparency, accountability and discipline.

The truth is that when Nigerians see purposeful leadership, they appreciate and support it, even in an atmosphere of apparent discomfort. Example, the most popular administration currently is that of Gov Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State and one can see that across ethnic, religious and political affiliations, there is an acknowledgment of good work. A fellow state administrator once called him the best among them all. Another example is the leadership of Rivers State in the person of Rotimi Amaechi who during the height of insecurity in the state, stepped in and made Port Harcourt habitable once more. If you go to Port Harcourt now, it is very busy with construction of roads, schools, hospitals etc to live up to his dream of making it a truly Garden City. From another perspective, I can cite the pro-order and pro-punctuality Junta administration of the Buhari-Idiagbon duo in the 1980s. As high handed as their regime was to Nigerians, people saw the changes that were quite visible and till now talk about them in a somewhat positive light.

I have a dream that Nigeria will truly experience great leadership that will indeed be selfless, decisive and impact on our lives. We as a people should play our own part and ask questions, hold our leaders accountable for every decision made that borders on our existence, every penny supposedly spent to better our lives. It is not enough to grumble and complain. Let us indeed think of what the future portends for our children who will take over the reins from us. When will we experience such leadership? Only you and I can decide.

“NIGERIA, WE HAIL THEE, OUR OWN DEAR NATIVE LAND, THOUGH TRIBE AND TONGUE MAY DIFFER, IN BROTHERHOOD WE STAND, NIGERIANS ARE PROUD TO SERVE OUR SOVEREIGN MOTHERLAND”

Source: Kate Henshaw Official Blog

SoulKate VOL 3: LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR….

Written by Kate Henshaw | Publised on Saturday Vanguard 24th Sept 2011


Who are the people in your neighbourhood? They are the people that we meet when we are walking down the street; they are the people that we meet each day.
During the week, blackberry messengers were agog with links about a gruesome rape of a young lady by 5boys/men who are students of Abia State University. These boys raped the girl in turns for an hour supposedly and filmed it and then uploaded for all to see. Where did this brazen courage to perform such a dastardly act and then boast about it come from? Could it be that they knew that they were untouchable and it would be swept under the carpet and nothing would be done about it like many such ills in our society that go unpunished? I did not want to watch it as they were warnings that if you did not have the stomach for it then you should not view this sick video. Finally I summed up the courage to look at it and I was in tears, my heart stopped for a minute, sick to my stomach! I thought of my daughter and I shuddered to think that would ever happen to her because, God help me, I would seek out the perpetrators and make them pay with their lives! I would not rest till justice was done!
The Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi in a National daily dated the 9^th of September, directed the Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, Prof Chibuzo Ogbuagu to step up efforts in arresting and prosecuting those who allegedly rough handled and sexually exploited a young lady in the institution. Further information filtered in that the Abia State Govt want to sweep the rape case under the carpet saying that the rapists and victim are not students of the said institution. Do they have to be students of the University? They are citizens of the state, and a crime was committed in the state. Surely the girl in question is deserving of protection. The police should be instructed to bring the rapists to book. My question now is, will the young lady have the courage to come forward and speak and also point out the names and faces of these 5boys? It is obvious she knows her attackers as she called them by name and was constantly begging for them to let her go or kill her. Or would she hide her head in shame because the society will look at her in pity, shame and disdain? Will her family or guardian stand with her and believe her story and not say she asked for it because she is wayward or they would rather tell her to keep quiet for fear of what people around them will think and say about them?
It happens all over the world and only those with courage will walk into the police station or relevant authority to seek redress. The police abroad however will immediately take the lady to the hospital for a medical examination and get evidence in the form of DNA and fluids deposited in the lady during the act and that way, they can profile the suspects and bring them in for questioning. What will our Nigerian police do?  Do we have any criminal data with regards to rapists? Almost three months after Titi Arowolo’s gruesome murder, the case is still under investigation, the pathological result is yet to be delivered! Why is it taking so long? Who is in charge and why are they not performing their duty to speed up the process so that her remains can be laid to rest? What do they have to gain from this delay? Is it a case of man –know- man and they want to delay for as long as possible so that we forget and nothing is done to her husband the murderer?? There are so many questions, so little answers.
What will it take to be your neighbour’s keeper, to love you neighbour and to care about what happens around us? We all have a mother, daughter, sister, aunty in our lives and how would we feel if it happened to them? Of course we would not be silent. Those of us who have the wherewithal will move heaven and earth and leave no stone unturned till we got our pound of flesh. The bible tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves, are we doing that? It is not enough to get dressed on Sunday or any other day that we go to our place of worship and lift up our hands to our God singing praise songs to Him when we have turned a blind eye to the plight of our neighbour. The change we seek starts with us in our own little or big space.
The mode of communication these days is so advanced that it is easy for good and bad news to get around quicker, what with BBMs, internet, etc. Xplore Nollywood Assembly (a blackberry group) released this communiqué: Rape is a heinous crime against humanity. It is an act of dehumanization. In all sense, it is morbid and represents a manifestation of the highest crudity in man. We condemn in its entirety the recent act of five young men raping a young girl and subsequently posting same on the net. We therefore call on all relevant authorities to put all efforts in order to fish out these demons. This wicked crime should not be treated with levity. The Abia State Govt should do more than deny the obvious. Rape is rape whether they are students or not. This criminal act must not be politicized. We demand an all embracing action by law enforcement agencies against the perpetrators of this crime.