“As if I had not suffered enough, getting to the school area was rough all to be welcomed by an empty school”
Few years ago when the national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu published the article ‘The Pilgrimage to Ota’ one naturally understands that the piece centered around his visit to former President of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo ahead of the then 2015 general elections.
Every year, people take pilgrimages to their various religious holy lands, Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Muslims, the Christians go to Jerusalem in Israel, Osun Osogbo festival no doubt can be a pilgrimage to some traditional worshippers too. Since I can’t be a party to the above Pilgrimage, I embarked on an academic journey to Igbo-Apawa. The reasons, the experiences and the nefarious fate that befell me on that course are recounted in the following paragraphs.
After graduating from school and NYSC mobilization wasn’t forthcoming, I had to help my then school mother and the acting head of department, department of Broadcasting, Lagos state university as a research assistant role in the administration of her questionnaires meant for her doctorate programmes which the topic centered on Media preference among public and private secondary school students in Lagos state.
The questionnaire was to be administered in every division in Lagos state, it must be noted that Lagos state has five divisions:
Citizens comprehensive college and our dear Igbo Apawa Senior high school were picked as the research sites for Eoe division and the man for the job was no other person than Me, that was because of my affiliations with Epe.
It was time for the field trip, I knew where Citizen was, but Igbo Apawa? Never heard of it. Got to Epe late in the evening, I had to check in with my parents at home with the hopes of finding useful information about my phantom location. So I asked my dad if he knew anywhere like that, to my greatest surprise, my over seventy years old dad who had lived in Epe almost all his life shook his head and replied that he’s never heard any place like that. He suggested that i should ask the king if he knew any place like that.
After series of questioning people about my not existing destination, I decided to administer the questionnaires to the known school with the hope of focusing on mystery Igbo Apawa destination when I’m through with Citizen college.
On getting to Ayetoro, for those who are familiar with Epe very well, I asked several motorists on where to get a bus going to Igbo-Apawa, the looks on their faces pointed at one thing, they had no idea of where I was talking about, from that moment I knew I had taken the job bigger than my head.
Finally, I was shown the way by a woman who had seen the stress I was going through, she pointed at a direction and all I saw was water, meaning I will have to travel on the water to get to where I intended to go. Since I had never travelled on the sea before, I became so frightened, scared and nervous, but I summoned the courage all because I needed a new experience.
On getting to the river bank where I was told I would get a boat, I was told they’ve closed for the day and should come back very early the following morning. So I went back home and prepared for the ultimate journey. I couldn’t sleep at night, my mind was engulfed with the thoughts of finally traveling on water, while this was going on, the night couldn’t wait a little for me enjoy, the morning came unannounced. Took my bath, packed the snacks with me for the comfort of my respondents, I headed for the shore and here the boat was waiting, boarded the rickety boat and travelled for an hour before arriving to the other end, yes other end not my destination, motor bikes were on ground to move people to their various places, a guy was calling out names of all the communities and I went to meet the one calling out Igbo-Apawa, I inquired about the fee and he said it’s 2 thousand naira, like I’ve not heard that before I scream are we going to heaven? Everyone laughed and made jest of me, obviously he’s a Johnny just come (JJC) said a woman.
Since the price was affirmatively echoed to me, I took the bike and that was the beginning of the end for me. Yes a dead end. The road network to the place is 1000% sandy like a beach, only motorcycle can go in as there are no provisions for cars.
After spending almost 3 hours on the bike, I arrived the hell-like hamlet, a village will
be too much to qualify what I saw. Five huts and a modernized secondary was all the community had. As if I had not suffered enough, getting to the school area was rough all to be welcomed by an empty school. Not a single person was there, on a Wednesday morning? Where are the students and teachers? Is this beautiful edifice really functioning? These questions and more were beginning to drop as I interviewed a villager. So I asked how I could find way back and the man replied. Okada comes here once in three days. That struck my heart like a dagger ran through me, you said what? And the man repeated himself, how am I supposed to survive here? My phones were off, the little one with had no network signal. So I sat down thinking of where my heavenly help will come from. And sure the help came four hours later, I heard the sound of a bike, I jumped up to see the direction it was coming, and alas it was my direction, so I stopped it and ask him to come pick me back to the shore, the man on the bike with the bike rider was the vice principal of the school, someone intimated him when I boarded the boat in Epe that a man who looked like a government inspector was going to inspect his school so he dressed up in his house and took bike to follow me.
The frustrated me wasn’t interested in the explanations the man was giving me as to why school wasn’t on at that time of the day and week. I jumped on the bike and left.
The journey to IGBO-APAWA was indeed PILGRIMAGE.
