A Day in the Nembe Creeks

A Day in the Nembe Creeks

 Nembe River

The Nembe River, 
The checkpoint of pirates fully armed like people at war! 
And, many ships are then shot at; 
For, this river in Nigeria is another base of the pirates of West Africa. - Edward Kofi Louis http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/nembe-river/

The Nembe River is not at all like the poem  above by Kofi Louis; at least not any more. We set out from Yenagoa in very high spirits  on the Nembe   Community  Development Foundation’s  (NCDF’s) bus that takes you as far as  the  Oloibiri  jetty point where  the ferry takes you on the next leg of the journey through   a wide expanse of water known as  the “Okilo” River/Canal (?  I am not entirely sure about this). This body of water empties into the main Nembe River.

Oloibiri? Does this strike any cord on the strings of your heart as a Nigerian?  Maybe not for the majority of Nigerians born after 1970. Oloibiri is a landmark - where the first oil well was discovered in Nigeria by Shell in 1958.  Got you there; you did not know this? Well, I guess this is understandable because the discovery of oil in Nigeria means different things to different people.   For some, it is a  great opportunity to amass immeasurable wealth, by dishonest means and at the expense of all. For others, it means a loss of livelihood, poverty and even death; and for yet others, it just means fuel in their car tanks and diesel for their generators for a bit less than the global sale price. Another group entirely lies in wait for the opportunity to pounce on the national cake. Where do you belong?

The Nembe Creeks: It is quite an awesome experience. Suddenly you feel so small and insignificant in a lonely speedboat boat even if it is well built with walls and windows that shield you from the river’s endless but powerful water sprays;  and of course, from the sun and rain too!

Sitting in the relative safety and comfort of the NCDF’s ferry, I wondered how on earth others felt safe riding in the open speedboats (even when geared in bright orange life jackets). Even more dreaded was the idea of riding in locally fabricated canoes. But of course if you were born in the Creeks of Nembe, water is your home, your friend and companion. On the downside, water could become a powerful foe too. After watching the London Olympics, I thought, "Well, if things really worked well in Nigeria, we should be seeing chaps from Nembe, Creek Town (in Calabar, Cross River State) and other communities like these, topping the world swimming charts. We should be breeding stars like United State's Ryan Lochte and  Michael Phelps;  Ranomi Kromowidjojo who represented the Netherlands and China's Ye Shiwen.  Interestingly, the only African country that was represented in the swimming events was South Africa.

 

I have this habit of running ahead of myself. The building of the NCDF is quite imposing, like that of a big company.  The building, the buses and the ferry’s  (belonging to Kala Ekulema Line Ltd) are all a result of a Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) brokered General Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) managed by the Nembe community for the community’s benefit. The Nembe community decided that one of the things they desired was a safer form of transportation to assist the indigenes and those who transact business with the community.  Who could possibly blame them for this choice given that practically all Nembe communities exist on the river!  According to Chief Joe Alagoa, the General Manager of  Kala Ekulema line, a ride to Nembe costs one thousand two hundred naira (N1,200) for both the land and water journeys.

Imagine where you live; and then you decide to visit your friend, in-law, sister, or other relative in the next suburb or town. You would normally walk out of your house and flag the next taxi, bus or “okada”. Right? In Nembe City, you would walk or take an “okada” ride to the Jetty point and hop on the next available boat for this friendly visit. If this were the situation, you would certainly want to make the transport on water as safe and comfortable as you could possibly can; even if you swam like a fish.

While on the river, we saw the open-roofed speedboats (with the passengers probably praying that it would not rain and the sun would not be scorching hot either!)  Then there was the occasional small canoe piloted by a lone woman, her legs stretched straight in front of her, totally at home on the river, so peaceful as she rowed along: Perhaps to a faraway farm? A rendezvous with a new lover or husband-to-be?  Maybe she was rowing over to her child’s new school to discuss his/her academic progress or challenges with the teacher? Hey! Imagine that you had to row yourself to your next date?

I saw the occasional boat with a mother and with her toddler firmly ensconced in the boat and sometimes with the child even standing; his/her indomitable young face peering into the horizon, with  a wizened look way too old for  his/her years. I wondered,  “What is on this child’s mind? He or she should still be playing with wooden dolls and cars not exposed to  the whims and caprices of the elements”.  Is he/she  already  like a hardened seafaring man/woman, wondering, will this lonely barge come back to berth at this jetty point? Will I see my family again at the end of this voyage? No seat belt? No safety jacket?  No policeman to flash the mother a red card for endangering the baby’s life? Nothing. That would be wishful thinking. This was after all, Nembe, lost on the creeks, far away from Yenagoa’s  blossoming GRA (pardon me, this means Government Reserved Area ) where the rich and mighty and the government officials live in huge mansions, drive brand new cars and wine and dine in posh settings.

The Nembe communities are only about two hours from the seat of government in Yenagoa, yet the people still poo into the river, their backsides exposed to all and sundry. I wonder, “Who should really cover up the nakedness of these people? Is it not the government?" I wonder as I sail along this beautiful specimen of God’s earth known as the Nembe Creeks with little or no access to electricity supply from the national grid?  I wonder aloud,  “what really is the future for the children who are deprived of quality education?  What really is the future for this people? What does the future really hold for communities like Nembe scattered all around Nigeria? What does the future really hold for Nigeria?”

A Trip to Beautiful and Scenic Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State, Nigeria

The Yankari National Park is the premier game reserve in Nigeria. Yankari Park and Wikki Warm Springs are located around the Gagi River, approximately 1 1/2 hours by road, southeast of Bauchi Town. The beauty and size of The Yankari Game Reserve make it the most pop­ular reserve in Nigeria. Set up in 1956 and opened to the public in 1962, the main game-viewing areas of the reserve are open all year round - http://www.nigeriaembassyukraine.com.ua/yankari_game_reserve.htm

Beautiful Yankari Game Reserve located in the heart of Bauchi State's Alkaleri LGA , brings to me both cherished and not-so-great  memories. Coming in from Gombe State Airport ( unfortunately Bauchi State does not have an airport so you must choose between Jos Airport in Plateau State and Gombe State Airport),  you take about a 90- 120 minute drive to the junction where you turn into the Yankari  Game Reserve (YGR) road. The air is clean and there is a great deal of greenery as you take the drive up to YGR. Actually, as we drove up to the reserve it drizzled for short while and everything smelled fresh and pleasant.

When you get to the gate of the reserve, you will need to drive another  41 km or so to reach the the YGR camp where the hotel, training rooms and other buildings are located.  YGR is located over a 100km from Bauchi - the state capital.

As we embarked on the drive from the gate to the camp, I had mixed feelings. I did not know what to really expect but the there was a lot to see as we drove on - Guinea Fowls strolling  majestically from one side of the road to the other; their feathers glistening. We tried to maintain the speed limit of between 30-50km per hour. Obviously, some other driver may not have observed the suggested speed limit as we found one of the beautiful birds squashed to death on the tarmac.

The ride was very smooth, no potholes as the road was well and evenly tarred all the way to the camp. We also found many monkeys who ran deeper into the bush as we approached. We  saw what looked like Gazelles moving in a herd as we drove along.

When we got to the camp and the reception, we saw beautiful bungalows painted in a dark mud colour.  We were given keys to the outhouses, not very close to the reception. Apparently, many groups were having training workshops here and the better accommodation closer to the reception  area were all occupied.

When we got to where our assigned  rooms were located we were greeted by a colony of baboons. Great, we thought, we  were afterall, in a game reserve. I recalled my visit almost a decade ago to a game park in Kenya's Naivasha region in the Rift Valley. We also stayed in bungalows and often at night, the Hippos would come around and we would find  huge fresh droppings around our room doors as we emerged in the morning.

The difference here was that,  as we found in the rooms of some of my colleagues, the baboons actually find their way into the rooms. We could see their paw marks on the walls. In one of the rooms, they had actually removed  a ceiling board in the bathroom and the bathroom was strong with the stench of the baboons.

Wikki Warm Spring. Photo By Hammed Adefioye

We got rather worried when we found that in their desperate scavenging for food, they would quite effortlessly slide open windows and  even doors if these are not tightly secured. In fact one of the men informed us that the baboons were more likely to snatch bags from women whom he described as the "weaker sex". I wondered if baboons needed to be sensitized on gender issues until another explained that the apes were more likely to grab a bag from a woman because they  have found from experience that women are less likely to attack them or to retaliate. It was quite comic when a baboon stealthily entered the conference room and removed a bowl of Massa (a rice-based cake popular as a breakfast staple in Bauchi State). We also found a number of warthogs around the residential area of the game park. These herbivores generally minded their own business as they moved around the grounds.

There is a well stocked shop  with grocery  and other essential items as well as  a  museum and restaurant.  The tennis court which is closer to the meeting rooms needs some attention but seemed otherwise okay

The other minus we encountered in the reserve was fact that they did not have access to PHCN-generated power. The generator worked only from about 6am to 6pm in the hotel rooms; though the meeting rooms were supplied with power during the day. The camp is very large and so generating power only with generators can be capital intensive and would drain the little revenue that the reserve generated as a tourist center.  It was therefore not unusal that the camp grounds remained in pitch darkness when night fell. The only lights came from the outlying chalets and residential buildings. The darkness can be quite unnerving on your first night but as you stay longer, you kind of get used to it.

The Bauchi State government needs to look closely at this as well as issues of water supply and maintenance if the  reserve is to become a good revenue earner. The YGR is scenic and beautiful and has huge potential if well managed. Perhaps, a private firm with a good record can be contracted to run it? If well run, it would not only  bring in revenue for the state but also provide employment for the people of Bauchi State. While we were there, we saw a few foreign tourists  and a lot of other people including children, swimming at the  Wikki Warm Spring which is one of the great attractions of this reserve. The spring maintains a steady temperature of about 31 degrees centigrade. It is a beautiful and rare gem  and in addition, there is an ancient cave nearby.

We only really started to enjoy the facility after we were moved to the hotel rooms closer to the reception which had metal meshes to keep out the baboons and other creatures out.

For one thousand naira (about $7) only per person or six thousand naira (about $40) for a group of about six persons, you could enjoy a two-hour drive in the reserve vehicles through the forest trails and have the opportunity to view the Elephants and Lions; on a good day.

As a public relations professional, I saw in my mind's eye, what do reserve could look like if the State government decides to turn the place around. Yankari Game Reserve is an asset to the State Government and they ought to do something about it and bring it to global standards in order to encourage tourists to come in from Nigeria and all over the world. Issues of security will need to be beefed up and the State will need to work at providing an airport so that tourists can fly directly to Bauchi and take the about 100 km ride to the game reserve. helicopter rides to the reserve from "Bauchi Airport"  will make the Yankari Game Reserve even more attractive. As Nigeria seeks to diversify the sources of revenue ( beyond petroleum) tourism is one area we can work at. Cross River State is already working at this, and we need other States to do the same. WE need to show-off the beautiful aspects of our land and culture to the world and cut down on the negative press and the single negative narrative that Nigeria attracts.

The Greatest Time Traveller of all Time

I was a bit bored a week ago... Maybe, not so bored as tired. The last two years have been mega challenging. I feel sometimes as though the world around me is an oyster shell where I am totally alone and enclosed.  Like John the Baptist, I feel like a lone voice crying in the wilderness. I am not a lonely person. Being alone in my space allows me to experience God in more unique and spectacular ways.

I wonder why that in such an interconnected world, with billions of cyberspace-savvy individuals glued almost permanently to email, facebook, twitter and a host of others, interpersonal relationships have cracked down the middle. The 21st century human finds it almost impossible to nurture relationships around him or her but has millions of friends in cyberspace. Divorce rates even in the so called conservative African context  have shot through the roof. 

Many smartly dressed and upwardly mobile persons, wielding mobile phones of all shapes and sizes - BBs, Ipads - possess hearts that have suffered a serious condition of  atrophy. So many out there crave the human touch - eye contact that says, "stranger, though I have never met you but  as long as you're God's creation, I care"; a gentle touch on the shoulder; a smile...our fingers are so adept on laptops and iPads but lack the sensitivity to touch hearts and lives. We are poor in the heart business while our bank accounts continue to swell in dollars and Euros like  busted septic tanks spewing their filthy waste all around.

Dear reader, I digress. I set off to write about my visit to the bookshelf but my heart is very heavy tonight. I must write to stay alive.

So there I was, standing in front of a bookshelf overcrowded with books I am dying to read or re-read. The refrain that runs around  my brain these days is: "I am too busy to read; too tired to read; I have to work hard for the money".

I digress again. So sorry. So, there I am in front of the bookshelf. I survey the vast titles - women empowerment, Christian literature, English literature, English Syntax, history  - I lovingly caress my favourite books - Wuthering Heights,  Crime and Punishment... I wonder how such a gentle and peaceful woman could be enraptured by such tempestuous works. Could it be that I have fires burning that may erupt some day under standard temperature and pressure? Who knows!

Dear Reader, I am digressing  yet again. Perhaps you should put a rein on my thoughts..."I live because I write" or is it that 'I write because I live?'

So, there I am in front of the bookshelf. Some books are so mildewed...I skip them - Girls at War; I wonder how  Achebe ever came up with such a title. My fingers glide over other books - public relations,  corporate sustainability, my friend's work about Edo history. I sigh, I think of friends that touch one's life at a point in time and then disappear down the road; they disappear like vapour from  life's teapot or life's pot of  egusi soup. This is why I started thinking of the time traveller.

While still ruminating on whether to read Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind again, I spot this paperback publication in an attractive orange and white colour. Though very frayed at the edges, I nevertheless stand on tip-toe and stretch to pick it out of the rows and rows of neatly stacked books. I mutter under my breath,  "there is a time for everything under the sun". How come that in all these years, I do not remember ever reading H.G. Well's Selected Short Stories?

I reverently flip over the initial pages. Aha, there it is; my name and the city and date where and when I purchased the book – Calabar:  It brings back strong emotions and memories. The date reads 8th of May 2002. Is it a coincidence that I am writing this piece in May, nine years down the road?

I turn more pages and the “Time Machine” is the first chapter I come across. I wonder, 'did the writer of the movie,  The Time Traveller's Wife' receive his inspiration from Mr. Well's short story?

Intrigued,  I make a cup of tea and lay down on my bed with the title I have finally selected. Ready to travel through time and space in the pages of the book.

"...space, as our Mathematicians have it, is spoken of as having three dimensions, which one may call Length, Breadth and Thickness, and is always definable by reference to three planes, each at right angles to the others", observes the Time Traveler who is the chief protagonist of this strange tale.

He continues, "...why three dimensions particularly - why not another direction at right angles to the other three". Pursuing the same train of thought he argues, " there is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space except that our consciousness moves along it". Following on this argument, the Time Traveler invents a Time Machine that can take its passenger back and forth in time; sometimes at giddying speeds of one year per second.  

This ability to accelerate into the future and  and to go back into the historical domain reminded me of one of my most cherished Bible verses.  It states that God Almighty knows the end from the beginning. He can move with fluidity from the foundations of the earth (when chaos existed and the three- in-one Godhead held a conference on  the status of the earth and decidedly intoned, "Let there be...” and the awesome creation story was put into motion...And the invisible became visible. The invisible things are eternal, endless; while the visible world is transitory.

Unlike the Time Traveller, I believe that rather than being a linear line where you have only the past and the present, Time surrounds the other dimensions of space which because they are visible belong to the class of transitory elements – they are bound to get exhausted  and  to pass away.

Time is invisible;  thus, it is eternal. Every man and woman who wears the visible human body knows that the body will only live in a portion of the time resource which is very limited in comparison to the unlimited and inexhaustible resource that Time represents. The visible body which we see has restricted access to an average of 75 years  out of Time's  endless and inextinguishable expanse. When the earth body which is visible exhausts its allotment of the Time resource, it releases the invisible part of the man or woman – the part of the human  person which is eternal.

My conclusion is that God is not a time traveller who has access to only the past and present and cannot control his movement through the futuristic and historical realms. God owns Time. He is the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and end. His motion in Time is not linear. He can create time and stop time; He can even shorten Time and lengthen it for that matter. He controls all the dimensions of Space. He can reposition them and defy the laws of gravity [Jesus did and so did Elijah, and Enoch. In the case of the floating axe head, was it a defiance of gravity or  control of the laws of magnetism?] Truth is, God is the quintessential Time Traveller of all time.

When Jesus came down to earth, he came to demonstrate that human beings can operate like the Godhead. He said, if you have faith as little as mustard seed, you can command an inanimate object - a mountain - to be repositioned in time and space and it is bound to obey. He said we can do greater works than He did. We can also control time and make it work for us. We can  also shorten time, lengthen it and stop it by Faith.  Prophets constantly reach into the future to prepare people to face the future and to be prepared and in control.

May 14, 2011.