Hawwah
Abdullahi Gambo
This is the title of a book, which almost every Nigerian of our generation has read for literature. But it remained one of the books that never made sense to me regardless of the number of times I have read it. It is the same feeling of disenchantment I felt when I rode in the Abuja-Kaduna train.
Unlike most Nigerians, I received the news of the inauguration of the first Abuja-Kaduna mass rail transit with a pinch of salt. Not because I did not welcome it (who wouldn’t), but because knowing what I know about Nigeria and Nigerians, I just did not expect anything grandiose. And honestly, anyone who has had the good fortune of seeing and experiencing what the world out there looks like, anything short of those standards is nothing but unfortunate.
I happen to be in the know of how many times Nigerians have scuttled the same rail project in the past 16 years. And these same people are still in government and in our society with the ability to make and mar.
I welcomed it quite alright; not only because it was cheaper than road transport, but also because it was far safer; and time saving (or so I thought). The incredible selfies Nigerians take and plaster all over social media outlets on the Abuja-Kaduna train is enough to raise the curiosity of a pen pusher like me. And so I resolved to have a feel of what it is like to ride on a train in Nigeria.
I earnestly prayed that the experience would be all and everything I had hoped for, that my heart would be glad by the experience, that all the misgivings I had would be dispelled by the efficient service delivery I would witness on the train ride.
I got to the Idu train station at 2pm; but could not get on the train because it was filled. Determined that I was going to leave Abuja by train not car; I went home and returned the following day at 1pm.
That too, proved an enormous challenge because I met a huge crowd protesting the ‘lack of seat’; which was something that didn’t make sense to me (this is a train for God’s sake not a car; how can they not have seats?) I calmly walked to the counter and asked to see the Manager who, fortunately, was already walking into the platform to apologize to the teeming travelers the ‘lack of space’ to accommodate everyone on the train then.
After his speech, I calmly asked him why they do not have an online or booking platform. I further informed him of my visit the previous day, and how I had to postponed my trip just to enable me go on the train. Initially, he was reluctant to even pause to give me an answer; but I believe he stopped himself at the nick of time and asked ‘who are you’?
I brought out my ID and flashed it in his face; it immediately lit up. He began to apologize all over trying to convince me on how difficult it is for them to accommodate me on the said trip. According to him, Kaduna-Abuja train has got only three coaches which have been divided across the 3 stations of Idu, Kubwa and Jere.
They have filled all their spaces and have even taken up some from the Jere and Kubwa quota. I asked how come they have only 3 coaches even though they had recorded incredible sales volume of over N5m in just 2 weeks of operation; which now technically means an awesome N15-N20m in just a month; how can you not add more coaches? He answered, ‘ask the government. They provided these coaches and they are the ones to give us more. We are only the consultants hired to execute this project’. I was stunned!
So, we; the passengers that could not get seats bought standing tickets and got on the train to stand throughout the duration of the journey; with the condition that the seats could become vacant as passengers drop at sub stations.
We eventually boarded at 2.40pm and arrived Kaduna at 5:10pm; duration of 2.50 hours. As I got home at 6pm that day, my mind was full of thoughts of the potential and challenges of the Kaduna-Abuja rail project.
One thing is certain; the train project is laudable; extremely commendable. Most Nigerians, especially those 45 years and below have never been on a train before, have no idea what a train should be because they have probably never been outside Nigeria much less have the opportunity of seeing or riding in one.
I believe every Nigerian who has had a train experience in a developed country feels the same disenchantment of knowing that for all the noise, the brouhaha and excitement Nigerians had exhibited about the train project, they sure deserve a lot better.
Rail transport has developed to speed trains and bullet trains for years now; yet Nigeria, one of the world’s biggest exporters of crude oil, is celebrating locomotives. It is heart breaking.
Nigerians owe it to themselves and generations to come to not only ensure the success and continuity of the rail transport system that has just been resuscitated in our country by holding all stakeholders accountable.