Behind festive travels: What interstate drivers face daily

Guardian Nigeria

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00:00As the Christmas and New Year festivities draw near, thousands of Nigerians are on the move,

00:09travelling across states to reunite with family and loved ones. However, for many interstate

00:16commercial drivers, this season of joy comes with heightened challenges. Guardian TV spoke

00:23with commercial drivers flying routes from Lagos to Abuja, Kogi, Nainja and Abakaliki, who shared their

00:31experiences navigating Nigeria's highways during this busy festive period and what they want the

00:38Nigerian government to urgently fix about this. Here's what they have to say.

00:44From Lagos here, I used to pass Adoikichi at times to Lokoja. Sometimes we used to pass from here to

00:51Bini, buss out in Lokoja. Sometimes we follow Makowa, that is Bida. So we used to follow Bida, buss out for

01:02Niger. There is no road at all, at all, we suffer for road, serious. Yeah, we suffer for road well.

01:08And there is insecurity in the country, some other places, they used to kill people. There is some

01:14places where you say, if your motor has a problem, you have to leave the motor and run away. Maybe in

01:18the night, only daytime you can manage to repair your motor. If motor stops there for night,

01:24then you have to move away from that side. For some time now, the road is very hot.

01:30We all as drivers, we drive with fear. You know, things are getting out of hand at that road. So,

01:40there is nothing to talk about about that, not a road. Every day, we must encounter armed robbers,

01:48kidnappers, bandits, every blessed day. So, there are many roads to be stressful for us, being the drivers.

01:57Asaba is bad. Dini is bad. Very bad. And Nigeria is supposed to pull out of Nasser because of the

02:05kidnappers. Understand? The road is very dangerous for now. The road is not good, truly speaking.

02:13To be earnestly speaking, the road is not good. Mostly, the road from Akitsi. The road from Akitsi

02:19side, then driving down to getting to Kaba side, it's a little bit okay. Understand me. Then towards that

02:28local Jars side, it's okay. Understand me. But anything from this Akitsi, Akitsi or Aramokor side,

02:35the road is too bad. And as it stands like this, many of our buses, many of our cars have been having

02:41accidents. Understand me. Due to the bad road. Most of the times, we like the travelers. Understand me.

02:47We do experience port poles and insecurity mostly. Understand me. Like some few few days ago,

02:57few weeks ago online, where they show online that people in city should not travel to the village

03:05because of the insecurity, bandits. And all these things are things that the federal government

03:10should look into it. Understand me. If the federal government can look into all these things,

03:14I think the country will be better. People will get afraid of traveling. But people,

03:20some people will travel. But the way they will travel this time is not the way they normally travel.

03:27Because everybody is afraid. It's afraid. Nobody will go and be kidnapped.

03:35When you have money to eat, they will ask you to bring 200 million. Where will you get it?

03:40Truly speaking, it will be very hard for somebody to travel. Understand me. From what we have seen,

03:45and the operation now that is about to come up, the bandits already have been seen online,

03:50that will come out. And if they are coming out, they are coming out forward to arrest,

03:55and get people to collect money, all those things, which is very bad.

03:58So, but the only thing now, eh, the government himself should create security.

04:03Understand me. You can't be on the way, and your mom is being caught, or your dad is being caught.

04:08They say, bring 10 million, bring 20 million, and the government is not doing anything about it.

04:11All they know, they fly by air. If they go through the land, they see what we and you are passing

04:17through our sovereignty. But that is not something I can see all. It's annoying. Understand me. So,

04:23I don't really know. The only thing I can not select government, make provision for security,

04:29create roads, understand me, for the betterment of every citizen of the country.

04:34Actually, the things that I want government to do, you know, pass two or three things.

04:38May they help us look for the bad, bad spots, and patch them, so that there will be no much

04:43holdup on the road. And number two, again, may they help us put security on the road, so that

04:48people, if they want to travel, they will travel successfully. Let the government help us.

04:53Let them help us to put security on that road, because the thing is too much.

04:58You know, that's the only thing they can do for us now, so that people will travel with their mind.

05:04That's the damn vehicle out of the road. That's what I've seen.

05:08The season, many, most people want to travel to go and see their loved ones. So, for that reason,

05:15many of these travelers, the owners of transportation, do put prices. And moreover, you know, this time now,

05:23they will put prices in all fuel and CNG gas, understand me, will be increased. And when was it

05:28increased, surely they must put prices in tickets. Beyond the festive moments, our drivers who say

05:35every trip is a risk. Their appeal is simple. Safer roads, better security, and journeys that end well,

05:45this is easy, and even beyond.

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