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  • Help on the way for ‘forgotten’ Lagos communities

    Help on the way for ‘forgotten’ Lagos communities

    Decades of seeming government neglect could be about to end for the people of the Island communities of Agboyi I,II and III, Ketu, Lagos as the Rotary Club of Ogudu Government Reservation Area (GRA), drawing support from sister Rotary clubs in the United States, has pledged to ameliorate their suffering. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE reports.

    Four months after the searchlight was beamed on the deplorable living conditions of the Awori people of Agboyi  in Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State by The Nation newspaper on April 9, help is  on the way for the three riverside communities.

    Moved by the report, which revealed poor sanitation, lack of potable water, dilapidated health facilities, crumbling classrooms, poor public toilet facilities and other public infrastructure, including transportation in the 500-year-old communities, members of the Rotary Club of Ogudu GRA went on a fact finding mission to the area last Tuesday and were shocked by what they saw.

    Asked about her impression after the  mission to Agboyi I, II and III, a Charter member of the Club, Chief Mrs Onikepo Oshodi, was damning in her verdict: “Life (at the three Agboyi communities) is brutal, bad and unfortunate.” For her, the standard of living of the residents  is unacceptable.

    Not that they had expected to meet some comfort at the communities having read this newspaper’s earlier report on Agboyi, but what they saw was even more shocking than what they read.

    To them, it was mind boggling that a community so close to Ketu in the metropolis, and with even a Local Council Development Area (LCDA) named after it, could be so backward in all indices of development, just because it is an island.

    Though Mrs. Oshodi said she had been to Agboyi in the past for a similar assessment, she like other members of the club’s project committee, among who were the current president, Mrs. Fikayo Tunde-Ojo, the in-coming president, Mrs. Fidel Oguwazor, Treasurer, Mr. Hakeem Adesanya and Chairman, ‘We Care’ of the club, Mrs. Ojinika Okeke, were shocked at the very low standard of living of the people.

    Done with the initial fears as they entered the canoe that took them to Agboyi III – which was just a shouting distance from Alapere jetty, which the people have re-Christened  Agboyi-odo – they were appalled that the corrugated structure that dots the waterfront were toilets, where the people defecates. Same structures, three in all, built on stilts, were also replicated in Agboyi II and Agboyi I.

    One of the elders of the town, who had come to welcome the August visitors, and guide them around, Prince Adewale Seriki, told the Rotarians: “70 to 80 percent of residents of these communities use these toilets, which also serve as bathrooms. Others make use of potty, which they come to empty into the river, but everyone uses these places to bath. Early in the morning, women could be seen with wrappers tied round their chest as they take turns to take their baths.”

    Seriki had barely finished his narrative, when the visitors were assailed with some children splashing away in the water, as they take their baths, applying soap on their bodies and swimming to wash the foams off. “In this era of infectious diseases, this place is a rich reservoir for any outbreak of epidemic,” Mrs Oshodi stated with some finality.

    The team made the short distance between Agboyi III and Agboyi II, on dung of wastes as the entire environment was littered with all manner of waste, prompting the team to inquire whether the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) PSP waste operators ever visit the communities.

    At Agboyi II, the project team inspected the Agboyi Primary School, (which houses primary four to six), which was still in good condition.

    In front of the school was a borehole facility that residents said has never been used since it was commissioned. Though the facility which was said to have been executed by a foreign group had a water treatment facility, it was never put to use as the water produced was salty. “We couldn’t drink the water because it was salty. Borehole fails here, not because we do not have underground water, but because the water is bad. It is heavily polluted by iron, which makes it salty,” Seriki said.

    The group later visited Agboyi 1, where they inspected the only Maternity Centre that serves the three communities. They were told the electricity generating set provided by Path 2 in collaboration with the United Kingdom Aid agency (UKAid), (two foreign health based non-governmental organisations) is in top shape, and works anytime the LCDA provides the fuel.

    The group expressed happiness that Agboyi Primary School which houses Primaries One to Three which was in a very bad state last April when The Nation was in the settlement is undergoing some rehabilitation. Not only was the four-room one block of classrooms being rebuilt, the roof has been removed, as new logs were being put in place to give way for new aluminum roofing sheet. The project it was learnt began on July 14.

    The group which ended their tour with a visit to the palace of Baale of Agboyi II, Alhaji (Chief) Taiwo Lamina, praised the chief for keeping the communities peaceful in spite of the dehumanizing challenges that their residents have been facing.

    Speaking for the group, Chairman of the Projects Committee, Mrs Oshodi said though the Club has compiled a list of 10 riverside communities within its area of jurisdiction which it intended to assist, it decided to begin with Agboyi communities because their living conditions have been one of the most parlous.

    She said: “We hope that the communities would assist us in seeing to the realisation of our dreams of a better life for riverside dwellers. Though we have read of your plight in the newspapers which informed the moves we have made to ensure that we secure international support from other sister Rotary clubs in America to collaborate with us; we have come and we have seen with our eyes and we have come to the conclusion that indeed you deserve an intervention and urgently too.”

    She said the committee embarked on the visit not only to assess the needs of the people but to also hear from them what their needs are.

    And after listening to them, she told the Baale that her group had reached the conclusion that the people needs among others, a concrete footbridge linking Agboyi III to Alapere. Beside the bridge would be laid water pipes from the Lagos State Water Corporation’s water mains across the river at Alapere, which would be a final solution to the unavailability of potable water to the over 3,000 residents of the three communities.

    Other needs of the people she pointed out were sanitation which was divided into two-fold – provision of two blocks of six pit latrines and bathrooms each; for the three communities and the provision of at least three incinerators one each for the three communities to address waste disposal.

    On health, Mrs Oshodi lamented the trouble the communities’ pregnant women go through during child birth as the maternity runs only between 8am and 5pm.

    She said one of the nurses told the team they give referral notes to pregnant women once they get to week 36, adding that it is unacceptable that women would be put inside canoe and paddled to Ketu or Alapere before they could access healthcare.

    Mrs. Oshodi who expressed dismay that many of the pregnant women still patronize traditional birth attendants (TBA) at this age, said the Club would look into the request of the nurses to provide at least one labour room and two extra rooms for expectant mothers’ relations, so that the nurses could work also at night and relieve the women the agony they go through at child birth.

    She wondered how the maternity had been meeting its mandate to serve pregnant women and take deliveries when the only room provided for the purpose had allegedly been turned into a pharmacy where drugs were dispensed to patients.

    She assured that these projects would begin within the next six weeks provided the people are willing to provide her team with land to site them. She equally expressed the desire of the Club to provide classroom furniture and exercise books for about 300 primary school pupils in the three communities, who she said needed to be supported with such materials to make learning fun.

    “We saw some pupils who are being taught by some of your children in higher institutions and we are happy about that development. We, however, observed that the classrooms need more furniture and some of the pupils do not have exercise books while others who had only had one. We are therefore assuring you that our Club would provide your children with classroom furniture and these pupils would be given exercise books,” Mrs Oshodi said.

    She sought the community’s assistance and support to ensure the smooth take off of these projects adding that as part of encouraging local entrepreneurship, residents of the communities would be engaged by the Club to put these things in place. Mrs Oshodi said the Club would equally address the link footbridge between Agboyi 11 and Agboyi 1, which has become a death trap.

    The bridge, she said, would have aluminum railings to protect lives and prevent accidents.

    In his response, the Baale, Alhaji Lamina praised the group for their interest in alleviating the plight of the people of Agboyi. Lamina who prayed for the team asked God to make all their dreams for his people achievable, even as he pledged the commitment of all the elders and people of the three communities to the projects.

    He said the people would be willing to donate land to the Club for the execution of the projects as everyone is interested in ensuring a lift in their standard of living once the projects are in place.

    “We are very happy when our children told us of your visit. We are honoured to have you because we know you and your antecedents. We have no doubt that you will help us just as you have pledged. We are equally committed to ensuring the success of these projects and we shall provide you with all that you need to make all these dreams possible.

    “As you have identified, our main problem is potable water. We have relied over the years on sachet water (pure water) and bottled water for our sustenance. Only God knows how much we commit to this everyday in the three communities. If you can do the pedestrian bridge for us and provide pipe borne water it would have taken 70 percent of our stress in these communities away.

    “If these are coupled with addressing the challenges our women face during child bearing and give us a labour room, you would have helped us greatly. This added to the steps you want to take on the pedestrian bridge and education would make us seriously indebted to your Club,” Lamina said.

    The Baale who lamented the long years of neglect of his people by the government, urged other well meaning humanitarian clubs to take a cue from the Rotary International and partner with other blighted communities whose people are facing herculean challenges and life has become almost unbearable.

    Also speaking Mr Kehinde Ladega praised the club for coming to the aid of the people of Agboyi.

    “It is salutary that all these are coming to our people not because we pressed any special button, but because they read of our plight in the newspapers just like any other reader had.”

    President of Agboyi Student Union (ASU) Comrade Yusuf Muideen Ajigi said the intervention of Rotary International in the town was a welcome development. “What is most welcoming to all of us especially the students and youths of the town is that the club is promising to address virtually all the problems besetting the people of Agboyi 1, Agboyi 11 and Agboyi 111. All of these we need to emphasize are coming because they read of our plight in The Nation newspaper. While we are thanking the club, we must equally praise that newspaper for being the vanguard of the downtrodden,” Ajigi said.

     

  • Lagos fisherman freed of alleged robbery

    Lagos High court in Ikeja has discharged and acquitted a 25-year-old boat operator and fisherman, Emmanuel Egbayelo, of armed robbery.

    He had been arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and alleged armed robbery. He was discharged last Thursday after spending four years in custody.

    The court presided by Justice Lateefat Okunnu held that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations preferred against him.

    “The prosecution has not done enough to prove the armed robbery incident and enough has not been done to prove the defendant’s guilt.  It is the view of the court that the allegations against the defendant are mere suspicions and suspicion has no place in law,” the judge ruled.

    Justice Okunnu further held that  the evidence given by the first prosecution witness was in English language and was not interpreted to the defendant hence, she disregarded it.

    The judge also dismissed the testimonies of the second and third prosecution witnesses on the grounds that they were not relevant directly to the crime for which the suspect was charged.

    “The evidence before the court does not prove the charge; there is no evidence of committing the act. Conspiracy cannot be proved by mere inference and  as such the charge fails. It is hereby dismissed and the defendant is hereby acquitted and discharged,”she stated.

    According to the police, the suspect was arrested on March 22, 2010 around 4am while operating a boat on the Kikiriki waterside.

    One of the prosecution witnesses,  Sergeant Festus Okoebor from the Marine Police Command, told the court that Egbayelo was arrested  while on patrol with two of his colleagues.

    According to him, the suspect was arrested in a boat about 3.30am with items, such as a revolver, a locally made double barrel gun, four laptops, seven handsets, two hair clippers, one hack saw and one wrist watch.

    Though by the time the police team sighted the boat, there were between 10 and 12 men in the boat, only Egbayelo was caught while the others escaped.

    The court heard that  Egbayelo was taken to the office of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja where his case was assigned to an officer,  Felix Igbasan and others to investigate.

    Igbasan, who was the first prosecution witness, told the court that after cautioning the suspesct, he obtained his statement and told him to sign because he could not write.

    He said during his investigations, the defendant led him to No. 31, Virgil Dike Street, Okota, Lagos, the scene of the crime, adding that one Inspector Frankling  Adeleke and Inspector Babakunle were with him.

    He further told the court that the victims of the robbery, one Chiamara Emmanuel and one Oguabi Raymond, showed the police how the robbers had broken into their house. He said the recovered items were returned to the victims.

    But Egbayelo told the court during trial that  he was only a boat operator and that it was one Odudu, who he had only met a couple of weeks before, that called him on phone around midnight on that day to help him carry some bags of rice  at Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) where he worked.

    He said on getting to the scene, he met Odudu and other persons not known to him and that he protested that he would not take them in his boat but Odudu persuaded him to take them with a promise  to give him N2,000 instead of the normal N1,500.

  • Air France plane makes emergency landing in Lagos

    Air France plane makes emergency landing in Lagos

    •Ebola fear grips pasengers

    An Air France flight yesterday made an emergency landing at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

    The plane, which landed at 4:59pm, was said to have developed low tyre pressure midway into its journey to Nigeria from Paris.

    Although the flight’s origin was not ascertained, it was learnt that its fear-griped passengers quickly disembarked the aircraft after it touched down after hovering for over an hour.

    Rescue agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), fire service and the Nigerian Air Force and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) placed their men on standby at the tarmac.

    But the plane landed and taxied to the hanger without a hitch.

    NEMA’s Southwest spokesman Ibrahim Farinloye said there were neither casualties nor injuries.

    He said the problem was adequately handled and the 178 passengers moved to safety.

    A statement by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesman, Fan Ndubuoke, quoted the airline’s captain as saying he noticed that the left hand nose tyre pressure indicator was on. This indicated faulty nose wheels.

    Observing the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs), which is a corollary to safe operation, the pilot declared an emergency.

    Ndubuoke said the aircraft landed safely.

    The statement added that the captain of the flight later explained to the NCAA that the nose tyre pressure indicator was faulty, hence the wrong signal. The tyre pressure was later discovered to be in perfect condition.

    The NCAA directed the pilot to submit the Mandatory Occurrence Report.

  • Lagos Catholic Archbishop advises politicians on 2015 elections

    Lagos Catholic Archbishop advises politicians on 2015 elections

    The Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Alfred Martins, has urged politicians not to see the 2015 general elections as do-or-die affair.

    In his sermon at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos yesterday, Rev. Martins admonished politicians to use the 2015 elections as stepping stone toward providing quality stewardship to the electorate.

    He enjoined Nigerians not to mortgage their future and the future of the coming generation for a mere “pot of pottage’’.

    He also advised politicians to learn from history and to always allow the norm that power belongs to the people to guide their political activities.

    “The political atmosphere in our country is highly charged with political activities as the year 2015 gradually draws near.

    “I urge the good people of Nigeria to take their destiny in their own hands by ensuring that they do not abdicate their responsibility of having a say in those who govern them.

    “Nigerians should learn and pursue the path that would lead to good governance, transparency, and accountability,’’ he said.

    He also urged the Federal Government to ensure that all electoral rules were enforced with a view to organising successful elections.

    Rev.  Martins said: “Anti-democratic attitudes such as political thuggery, rigging, violence, politics of bitterness and acrimony leading to politically motivated assassinations that still characterise our political landscape should be jettisoned.

    “A new political orientation that will ensure the success of the forthcoming electoral process should be embraced.’’

    The cleric underscored the need for the emergence of committed and patriotic leaders, saying that it behoved on all Nigerians to actively participate in the electoral processes.

    “The temptation to embrace rigging and violence as the easy way to win elective offices would be unnecessary if those elected to govern us do so with the fear of God and due regard for the rule of law,’’ he said.

    The cleric praised the Federal Government and its security agencies as well as other groups campaigning for the release of the kidnapped Chibok school girls.

    He, however, urged the government not to relent in its efforts at securing the release of the girls by exploring all possible ways.

    Said Rev. Martins “The insurgency is becoming even more worrisome as it seems that they are now trying to conquer territories that the military have to try and liberate.

    “There is a show of lack of respect for human life in the way they indiscriminately detonate explosives killing and wounding people and also blow themselves up as suicide bombers.

    “Even more alarming is the trend of the sect members using women and children as weapons of mass destruction.

    “It is most disheartening to see women and children blowing themselves up in the guise of fighting a religious war.”

  • Lagos now fully ready for patients, says Fashola

    Lagos now fully ready for patients, says Fashola

    Governor  Babatunde Fashola  of Lagos State  said yesterday  that the state is now fully prepared to handle patients with symptoms  of Ebola.

    The governor,  on an early morning inspection visit to the Isolation Ward prepared for such  patients, said the facility is ready for  use.

    Flanked by the Commissioners for Health, Dr Jide Idris; Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed; and Special Adviser on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina,Fashola told newsmen that the state has a health challenge on its  hands and owes it a duty to prevent an outbreak of Ebola .

    The governor, who interacted with some of the health workers,  expressed appreciation for the work they are doing.

    Governor Fashola, who also expressed delight at the report that the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called off its industrial action, expressed the optimism that the members would come and sign up in the battle against the disease.

    He emphasized that the Ebola Virus Disease, as devastating as its consequences can be, is not an automatic death sentence, explaining that the consequence of death would depend on what is done and what is not done.

    He stressed that there are already reported cases of patients who are recovering in other parts of West Africa and that the issue is about being able to respond to it appropriately and taking precautions.

    He spoke on other measures  to keep the state safe from Ebola.

    ”We are also taking precautions and that is also why we did not go into where the patients are because there is a very strict protocol for going there. So if you are going there, you must wear a fully protected gown.

    “In the place where we are expanding to ensure that we are able to cope with anything that comes, you would see the shower there; people have to go through a protocol, one way in, one way out. That is why you cannot go into where patients are now unless you are fully protected appropriately and unless you walk through the mandated process for going in and for coming out.

    “Those who are detoxifying and decontaminating, they don’t go in. They are waiting outside and those who go in do so under a very rigorous protocol set up with advice from the Centre for Disease Control.  Provisions have already been made so that we can separate very critically ill people from people who are just showing symptoms, but who need to be in isolation.

     ”Now from what the Centre for Disease Control told me yesterday, there is no known cure, but if it is known and diagnosed early, patients can make full recovery because here you can give them very intense medical care which involves managing their waste, managing their body fluids, giving them antibiotics and fluids to rehydrate their body and to ensure that their immune system is able to find a standing chance to combat and make full recovery as we have seen in some parts of Liberia and Sierra Leone.

     ”Secondly, if such people get to the hospital early and treated, the disease could be contained. The risk in not doing that could be far reaching and for that we must be thankful that the hospital acted professionally and reported that case,”he said.

    Fashola  asked  private hospitals to develop a first line of defence immediately on how to handle Ebola cases.

  • 2014 FEDERATION CUP FINAL: NFF, LAGOS YET TO FIX A DATE

    2014 FEDERATION CUP FINAL: NFF, LAGOS YET TO FIX A DATE

    A TOP official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has disclosed that the August 16 date fixed for the final of the 2014 Federation Cup is no longer feasible as host of the final, the Lagos State Government, is yet to confirm its approval of that date.

    Dolphins and Enyimba will jostle for the Federation Cup trophy after overcoming their semi final foes on July 24 in Abuja and Abeokuta respectively.

    The ‘Pride of Port Harcourt’ stung Prime FC 1-0 while Enyimba pipped Giwa FC by the same scoreline to set up an exciting grand finale.

    A top source in the ‘Glass House’ told SportingLife that the NFF was in discussions with the Lagos State Government about hosting the Federation Cup final. The programme for the final will be made public at the end of the talks.

    “We are still in discussions with the Lagos State Government and it is until this is sorted out that we can talk about getting a date for the final,” the source told SportingLife.

  • Photo: Fashola at Ebola isolation ward

    Photo: Fashola at Ebola isolation ward

  • Lagos votes N300m for LPG utilisation

    Lagos votes N300m for LPG utilisation

    The Lagos State Government has earmarked N300 million as intervention to aid the campaign targeted at boosting utilisation of liquefied  petroleum gas (LPG) also called cooking gas, as against other fuels under its programme tagged Eko Gas .

    The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Taofiq Ajibade Tijani, stated this during a road-show at Isolo Local Government Area to sensitise the public on the need to switch over to cooking gas.

    At such road-shows, the state government through the Eko Gas initiative gives out filled gas cylinders with accessories free  to low income earners, particularly market women. At Isolo, 1000 cylinders and accessories were given out.

    Tijani said besides the vote by the state government, they are in partnership with major players in the LPG sector such as Chimons, Oando, Strategy Alliance and Banner Energy to enhance acceptance and switch over to cooking gas.

    The commissioner, who spoke to The Nation on the sideline, said: This is an initiative of Lagos State Government to promote the use of LPG (cooking gas) as fuel of choice for cooking knowing that it a fuel that is environmentally friendly and brings good health to people. So, the Governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, has approved that Lagosians switch to using LPG rather than using kerosene.

    “Today’s occasion is to flag-off another road show, which we started last year. We started with Surulere last year, moved to Ikorodu and now in Isolo and we want to cover all the administrative areas of Lagos to sensitise the masses on the need to deride unfriendly fuels.”

    On the distribution of gas cylinders and accessories free to Lagosian, he said that 1000 was distributed at Isolo adding that their plan is to sample round and give the gas to selected low income earners. “We might not able to cover all the people that we should but we will make sure we get to as many people as possible and by next year again we can get another vote and funding to cover more people

    “Our intervention is to make sure we give free to people so that they can try it. Between last year and this year, the governor approved N300 million for this initiative and we have been able to acquire those LPG from the stakeholders such Chimons, Oando, Strategy Alliance, and all the people  that are already doing business in LPG. They are giving us all the support,” he added.

    He also noted that from the areas covered so far, “the initiative has been very successful and I can give it 95 per  cent, and it will get better as we move along”.

  • Inside the world of Lagos cane ‘architects’

    Inside the world of Lagos cane ‘architects’

    It is an ancient art threatened by civilization and luxury, but traditional cane weavers in Lagos insist that their products have become luxury items. Seun Akioye, who spent time with some of them, reports

    It was an unlikely place to look for luxury, yet for 14 years, men and women dedicated to their art have turned  it into a goldmine. Here, men of high fashion and taste, those who desire quality and a bit of the unusual would flock for a piece of an art which though threatened through generations and civilization, has refused to die.

    Every morning under the Maryland Bridge, which links Ikorodu Road to Ojota, Mark Ewhleberene resumed in his office- a tiny enclosure made of plank and built closely with several others- and began his work. He is a master cane worker, a trade he learnt in 1985 when he first came to Lagos from Delta State.  In recent years, he has combined his job of making household utensils out of cane wood with that of being the chairman of Cane Weavers Association of Nigeria (CWAN), Lagos State branch.

    When The Nation met Ewhleberene, he was half way into the weaving of what he called a “walkway” pot, about two feet tall with a hollow inside which can be used to hold flowers in a hall or large office.  Watching the master weaver at work is a delight as well as a curious undertaking.  He held a water cane in his hands and with the dexterity of a’ master’ long accustomed to such delicate  and intricate exercise, he weaved the cane around a round frame he had made. At first, it did not look anywhere near the “walkway pot” he intended but after one hour, it began to take shape, a resemblance of a flower pot.

    As Ewhleberene worked, cars sped past overhead. Sometimes the heaviness of the sound of the vehicle on the bridge indicated the type of vehicle passing. There are more than 40 cane weavers working under the bridge, each one weaving similar design yet in some intricate way the works are very distinct from each other.

    The bridge where the cane weavers work is accessed through the Mende end of Maryland just by the bend where the road curves into an arch which then leads one back to Maryland. Unless one is pre-informed, it will be difficult to think that such magnificent products are being built under the bridge. The cane weaver’s shops are built side by side on each side of the open space, facing each other.

    In front of every shop is a display of exquisite artworks ranging from all household items made from cane. There are pots, baskets, hand fans, chairs, beds etc.

    The cane weavers could be found sitting in front of their shops while the cane works are in various stages of completion.  Denis Omadide was making a table; he had finished with the frame using wood and was carefully using a water cane to weave intricate designs on it.  Not far away, two boys were busy peeling the skin off a willow cane which would be used as a frame for a flower vase.

    “We used to stay around Mende before but in 2001, we moved under this bridge because we were asked to leave our former place.   Now, the bulk of our people stay under this bridge to work and the government has been kind to allow us use this place,” Ewhleberene said.

    In the beginning

    Cane architecture has always been a popular art in Nigeria but it did not get the international reputation as an exquisite work of arts until the 1980s, according to Ewhleberene.

    “It was a time Nigerians began to travel to the United Kingdom and they see how those people were using the cane and how much they appreciated it, then the value also increased here in Nigeria,” he said.

    The cane business in Lagos is generally dominated by people from the Niger Delta; this is unsurprising because the cane itself is mostly grown in the rainforests of Edo and Delta states. Though, a sizeable portion could also be found in Epe in Lagos.

    In Lagos, the earlier practitioners are those who came from the Delta and settled around Maryland after the Nigerian Civil war. They brought with them the cane architecture and began to produce simple household items and instruments for their trade like the fishing cage.

    Soon, Lagosians began to take more than a passing interest and seeing the economic potentials, the Niger Deltans began to make it in commercial quantity. “When I came to Lagos in 1985, the people I was staying with were all cane weavers and I had no choice but to join them in that business,” Ewhleberene confessed.

    Omadide who began the business about 12 years ago had a similar experience when he arrived in Lagos. He had no choice but to follow the precedence laid down by those he met in the city. Today, he has risen to become the vice chairman of the Cane Weavers Association.

    There are two basic types of cane used in weaving. The first is the water cane which is the primary cane needed for weaving, while the other is the willow cane which is stronger and bigger and can be used to form the frame of whatever product to be weaved.

    “The water cane is the most important, you can see that we first peel it, then we tear it out into tiny strands suitable for weaving and knitting and tying,” Omadide said.

    Cane is the future

    Many of the weavers believe that cane is the future of furniture. It is difficult to convince them that people may consider their art as primordial thereby unappreciated. Omadide believes that cane is perhaps the stylish fashion statement anyone can make in Nigeria today. Ewhleberene agreed with him.

    “Cane chairs are for the rich people, they use it in their offices, hotels, swimming pools and even the beach, it is a show of class. When you really want to see those who are of higher taste look at their furniture and you will find cane there,” he said.

    These cane weavers may not be boasting for nothing. For on the shelves of most of them, every conceivable item was made of cane. There was a complete set of upholstery made from cane, tables, single chairs, baby cots, kitchen equipments, baskets, dustbins and even a bed.

    “Anything you can draw, we can weave,” Omadide said.

    This was not an idle boast, a few meters from his store; Francis Djikounou was putting finishing touches to a most unusual product. A coffin! Two weeks earlier, one of his clients had requested that he made a coffin for the burial of his mother using cane. It was not the first time such a request would be made, but for Francis it was his first cane coffin.

    Francis’ coffin was not different from the wood coffins in design; however it was made from cane and grass and tightly knitted together to prevent water seeping into the body. When lifted it was not as heavy as a wood coffin. But as ingenious as this coffin was, Francis was not proud of his work.

    “I am not looking for any more customers, I don’t want to do coffin again, anything that has to do with death and coffins, I don’t want to be part of it, I don’t like the sound of death,” he said.

    “I am not a poor man”

    One may be tempted to believe that the weavers are poor and desolate men and women looking to make a meager living. Far from it, Ewhleberene said. He said that people who practice cane weaving have been able to educate their children, build houses and live comfortable lives.

    “I am not a poor man,” he insisted.

    Omadide said on the average, a weaver can make N30,000 profit in a month, now that is the worst scenario. On a good day, one makes an average of N100,000 and during festival times like Christmas when there are demands for baskets, one can  make a sale of up to N2million.

    The products too do not come cheap. An average cane pot costs between N4,000 to N5,000 while a complete set of upholstery could cost between N150,000 and N250,000.

    Cane weaving has also been beneficial to many young people too. There are some University graduates who are still involved in weaving. Many of them paid their way through school weaving cane. Odafe Otomi-Joseph is one of them. A graduate of Purchasing and Supply from The Polytechnic Ibadan, Odafe had his late father to thank for teaching him how to make a living through cane weaving.

    “I am an orphan and it was this cane weaving that saw me through school. I would make a lot of cane for people to help me to sell; as soon as that is done I will come back from school and make another set. It was a living hell living without any support for me and my siblings,” he said.

    Odafe went though “hell” to acquire education and did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service in Taraba state in 2010.

    Government can help us

    All the cane weavers want the Lagos State government to help them in many different ways. , Ewhleberene wants the government to give them formal recognition as that would enable them access loans that would help them expand the business.

    Omadide believes that working under the bridge is undesirable. “The job is good, but working under the bridge is not a good position, the government allowed us here because we are artisans now we are pleading that the governor should find a more permanent place for us. If we find a better place, this business will grow, he said.

    Weaving cane and looking forward

    Surprisingly, despite the promising future in cane business, many of the current practitioners still crave some other businesses.   For many of them, cane weaving is not what one can do forever and after acquiring some capital it is time to move on to other things.

    Ewhleberene is still in the business because he is a cautious man. “You have to look before you leap,” he said. But in the not too distant future, he would like to go into business, buying and selling probably, this time it will not be cane.

    Omadide shared the same sentiment. “I can leave not because this job is not good but because I want to do something else,” he admitted.

    Fortune is yet to smile on Odafe, now married with two daughters. He is also dreaming of getting a paid job while he would open a showroom far from Mende where he can display his cane chairs. “Things are still tough, I want to get a university degree, but with the situation now, it is impossible. I have plans, once you get to my showroom you must buy something, I will make sure of that,” he said.

    So why would these people want to try other businesses? According to them, making money is a little slow in cane business but once you make a sale, you are guaranteed a good profit. Also, the business is seasonal with most of the sales coming towards the end of the year. “That is why I want to have a paid job so that I can survive when cane is not selling,” Odafe said.

    Ewhleberene wants Nigerians to change their perception about cane products.  “Cane chair for instance is a modern furniture, everyone is changing, Nigerians should change to cane. It is durable, strong and better that the other chairs. It can change your home for the better.”

    While Ewhleberene was doing his best selling cane to the reporter, traffic was building up overhead on the bridge. Every day, thousands of Lagosians would drive over Ewhleberene and his weavers never realizing, they probably just passed over a goldmine.

     

  • Lagos unveils new bus routes

    About 11,000 commercial mini buses and 7,637 taxis have been allocated new route numbers following their registration, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation Mr. Kayode Opeifa has said.

    Speaking in his office, he said: “We have completed the allocation of routes to the 11,000 mini buses that have registered. We currently have 7, 637 taxi registered.”

    According to him, only 944 mass transit buses, 13,839 buses; 7,092 taxis; 2,194 kabu-kabu; 221 car hire vehicles and 2,169 tricycles, totalling 26,459, have been registered, with more than an estimated 30,000 operators yet to comply.

    Records of commercial passenger vehicle licensing scheme, Opeifa said, showed that of the estimated 80,0000 commercial vehicles and drivers in the state, only 24,257 vehicles and 28,902 drivers had been registered as at June, while only 7,637 taxis complied with the documentation of commercial vehicles’ directive.

    Opeifa observed that the government had extended the commencement of the enforcement date since the initial deadline on December 1, last year on many occasions, due to pleas from the leaders of transport unions,

    “In spite of the extension, government is unimpressed and disappointed with the low level of compliance which of course has slowed down the needed reform in the public transportation sector. Hence, the full enforcement must commence immediately and we are ready to implement the policy to the letter having waited for another six months,” he said.

    Unlike what obtains in the past, the determination to enforce the law has led to a rush at the Oshodi headquarters of the Lagos State Drivers Institute, findings have shown.

    The rush for accreditation by commercial vehicle driver and conductors at the centre which was one of the five accredited centres approved by the state’s traffic law 2012, it was learnt was the resolve of the state government to enforce the law, which officials say, is aimed at repositioning the state for efficient and sustainable public transport management system as well as ensuring safety of road users and transport operators.

    The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, LASDRI, Mr. Ayodeji Oyedokun, confirmed that the turn out since the announcement of the enforcement has been massive.

    He said: “The enforcement started in January, 2014. And since then, the number of drivers and owners who have come for the recertification has been increasing monthly. At the moment in Oshodi, we are attending to 200 drivers and conductors daily. We have simplified the process to ensure that it is seamless. We have about two batches daily. While some are in the classroom, others are doing their test and biometric capturing.”