ANA and my first train ride
When I got the message at short notice that Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA), Oyo and Osun chapters will be travelling by rail to Abeokuta for the first ever meeting of South-West ANA that comprises Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos states, called ‘jamboree’, I looked forward to the trip with excitement. Though the […]
When I got the message at short notice that Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA), Oyo and Osun chapters will be travelling by rail to Abeokuta for the first ever meeting of South-West ANA that comprises Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos states, called ‘jamboree’, I looked forward to the trip with excitement.
Though the sight of a train is not strange to me, as a kid in Kaduna, I remembered vividly the childhood adventure of going to hunt for grasshoppers in the bushes by the train tracks. I could also recall sighting it in motion at Ibadan and Lagos, but still never travelled by train until this memorable day.
To meet the call time of 4pm, I left Oyo town as early as 2pm and arrived the railway station at Ibadan at 3pm. While awaiting the train at the railway terminus, the sight of abandoned passenger and cargo coaches, aging structures housing the offices elicited memories of train services in the times past which went comatose and the recent attempts to revive them by the federal government. While some who had boarded a train in those golden years recalled the usual long wait, I reasoned that if transportation by train is revived and modernised with efficient service, it has the potential of being an alternative to road transport for passengers and goods. An added advantage is that of reliefing Nigerian roads of heavy duty vehicles.
After about three hours waiting, the train arrived Ibadan terminus at 6:30pm. As the train zoomed off at snail speed towards Abeokuta, it became a jolly ride. Though the journey of about an hour and thirty minutes by road took us about two hours and thirty minutes, there was no dull moment. As the train moved swerving left and right, the long journey to Abeokuta turned a memorable one with readings, riddles and jokes from ANA members. While this was on, curiousity took me to other sections of the moving train. Aside the seats, which were as comfortable as that of luxurious buses and even planes, there were two toilets, a bar and restaurant to give the passengers the hospitality of a hotel. However, with the door to one of the toilets yanked off, the odour from inside assailed the noses of passenges.
We arrived Abeokuta terminus at about 9pm. Two buses arranged by the host chapter, Ogun picked us from the terminus to the secretariat of Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) Abeokuta (Ile Iwe Irohin). At Ile Iwe Irohin we were given a warm reception by the Chairman and his Secretary. After a welcome address by the Chairman and some information on the programme line-up, we were treated to a sumptous dinner of Ofada rice which is a major agricultural product of Ogun State. Other programmes lined up for the following day (September, 1, 2016) were visits to Professor Wole Soyinka’s residence and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidential library. We later retired to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Guest House to pass the night.
The programme began the following day with the Zonal meeting at the NUJ Secretariat. It was revealed to us that the meeting was the initiative of the Chairman, Oyo State Chapter, Dr. Solomon Iguare. It was resolved that, the Zonal meeting should be sustained to strengthen interface of creative writing and creative writers in the south-west. Subsequently, a committee was constituted to suggest the modalities of reviving moribund Ekiti State Chapter. After our breakfast of yam, bread, fried eggs and tea, we left Ile Iwe Irohin in a convoy of two buses to tour Professor Soyinka’s residence and Chief Obasanjo’s library. The plan to visit Fela’s family house and Olumo Rock was suspended due to logistics problems and time.
Though, the Nobel laureate was not around to receive us, his housekeepers ushered us into the compound. The house which occupied a large expanse of land was built mostly of burnt bricks. As we could not access the interior, we proceeded to the amphi theatre within the residence. We took group photographs and had a reading session before leaving.
At the presidential library Kobapo Road, Oke Mosan, we marvelled at the large expanse of land which houses the library, a five star hotel, a mini zoo and a rocky bar, all a tourist’s delight. The field trip ended with this visit which left us with sweet memories of the ancient city of Abeokuta. We thereafter left the library for the park to catch a bus back to Ibadan. Unlike the train, the journey by road from Abeokuta to Ibadan lasted an hour and minutes. But the memories of the visit were lasting.
Lawal is a member of ANA, Oyo State chapter. He is also a senior lecturer with the Department of Theatre Arts, Federal College of Education(Special), Oyo.