I Will Come To Nigeria When I Have My British Passport.

I Will Come To Nigeria When I Have My British Passport.

OLATUNJI BUHARI, who recently visited the United Kingdom, writes on his experience and impressions. He also narrates an encounter with a Nigerian who is not in so much hurry to return home

My flight was scheduled for Thursday, February 06, 2014. On the eve of my departure to Queensland, my host had pre-informed me, “Tunji, please, put on a jacket because London is extremely cold”. I replied immediately, don't worry, I am putting on a blazer. I will be fine. Of course I knew it was winter, but thought I could manage. Perhaps, I should have checked the weather report. But I didn’t.

After stepping out of the arrival at Terminal 5 of the Heathrow Airport, the first gust of air that welcomed me was extreme chill like I had never witnessed in all my life. The quick alternative to this unexpected welcome was to run back into the arrival lounge. It was then dawned on me that I had misjudged what I would meet. As I was waiting at the arrival lounge, shivering, my phone rang. Expectedly, it was my host who was already at the airport to receive me. On sighting me he knew what I was experiencing so he removed his jacket and threw it round me. But even with the thick jacket on, the chill was still there.

We left the  airport and set out for our destination at  Ferrari road in West London to see a friend of my friend .  We spent over 5hrs discussing over a bottle of J20 drinks with chips and chicken on the employment opportunities, academics and security in the United Kingdom.

For the purpose of this story, let’s call my friend-friend Pascal. He has been living in London for more than 3years. He said my brother, life here is better than in Naija. I am very much satisfied with job I am doing here. I am doing three different jobs and I get cool pounds at the end of every month. I asked him if he  could not still make the same amount of money in Nigeria. To this he said he was not doing anything when he was in Naija and there was no way he would have made N300,000 in a month on any job. I did not want to prove him wrong or get into any debate with him but of course I know there were some jobs back in Naija that paid even more.

On why he does not want to come back to Nigeria, he said when I get my British passport I will come home. Pascal made several attempts to persuade me to stay with him but I told him I have already secured an hotel. To this, he said I should not worry that we will go and get a refund. I said to him don’t bother, I am here for 5days and after my insistence he agreed

I then finally settled down in my hotel accommodation at Jurry's Inn London Croydon. On entering my room, I headed to my window for a glance of beautiful structures in the city.

I asked my host, I need to eat Naija meal for dinner and his response was that this was not a problem. He instantly put a call to 805 Restaurant and before I could say Jack Robinson the eba and okro soup was here though at exorbitant sum. After I pounced on the eba, I took a shower and retired to my bed for what happened to be first night in London.

The next morning, I woke up very early looking renewed and refreshed. I turned on my TV and tuned to BBC where the Scottish Parliament was discussing the issue of same sex marriage bill! I took my time to listen to the Parliamentarians having just been banned in Nigeria.

The bill which was tagged" Marriage and Civil Partnership". It was on the 3rd stage reading and judging from the presentations by the Parliaments they all seem to be in support of the bill.

Coincidentally, my friend came and said he was also watching the same programme. I asked him if he was aware Nigeria has signed an anti-gay bill. From the looks on his face, he was not. I said to him anyone caught in the acts risk 14years imprisonment.

At about noon, we set out for a tour of London. We visited several malls taking pictures and shopping for friends and family back home. We spent the remaining hours of the day hopping from one mall to another.

Integrated Transport System

Before leaving Nigeria I was scheduled to meet a representative of Peacock College, UK in Lagos for possibility of a short term course but due to pressure of work I could not. In keeping up with my Lagos appointment, my host and I agreed to pay a visit to the college and also to meet another Nigerian friend studying at London South Bank university(LSBU). My host was surprised that a Nigerian could study at the LSBU. I asked him why and his response was that the school fee alone was about Fourteen thousand pounds per session. My mouth was wide agape. I concluded that it was possible she must have won a full or partial scholarship.

Our journey took us by train from Thorten Heat station to Balham station for onward trip to Elepant and Castle where London South Bank University is situated. On arrival at LSBU, our first port of call was the Perry library where my friend was studying hard for an upcoming exam. We met and discussed lots of issues. She took us around from the admission office to the information desk etc.

What fascinated me about the city of London  is the efficient rail transportation  system. It will be difficult for anyone who has travelled out of Nigeria not to be pissed off with the way our leaders have continued to run the affairs of this country since invention of road transportation by vehicles. It thus appears we have not made any progress since then. Though the Jonathan  administration has shown strong commitment in constructing and re-constructing damaged roads in different states  but I think we need to go beyond building roads because the population is growing at geometrical progression and do not see where a constructed two-lane will accommodate us in the nearest future.  

The Nigeria rail sector has been left in a mess.  The coaches are mostly outdated and out of sync with the realities of today. It is argued, and rightly so that the sector is the worst in the country in terms of development. From successive government, right from former President Olusegun Obasanjo till present claimed to have spent huge sums to revive the sector yet nothing visible has been seen.

The same coaches used in eighties when I used to travel from Ebute-Metta, Iddo to Idi-oro are still being used today. A throwback to weeks back when I saw a train moving along Agege Train Station, only God knows the origin,  I could not but watch in amazement as people were hanging by the doors, on the roofs and even at the back of the  train risking their lives.  I was close to tears and wondered  when and how we came to this sorry state and when we will really get things right.

Of course I do not believe our problem is the lack of resources rather, it is the sheer greed and thievery on the part of our public officers. Not too long ago  serving minister was said to have expended a whopping N250 million to purchase just two cars when such could have fixed the rot at airports across Nigeria.

I know our leaders have turned the United Kingdom to a second home where they squander plundered wealth from back here. It is sad that while we still see foreign lands as haven for such illicit actions we fail to ponder how the same people who allow us stash our wealth in their banks think, project ahead to make their nation great. The level of organisation of the traffic network in the UK made me lament the disorganization in the traffic system back home. I  remembered the traffic snarl and man hour of labour lost between Lagos Mainland and the Marina everyday ..And to think an employer would expect an employee to perform optimally. In Lagos we practically spend so many hours in traffic than we spend on productive activities.

In other not to be left behind, we must seriously invest in technology. It dawned on me that the era of going to banks or other institutions where we still battle with network failure is not in sync with the 21^st century. If a university in the UK uses identification card as ATM for the purchase of virtually everything on campus, why not here?