By FRED CHUKWUELOBE
For the first time I decided to travel by train from Lagos to Abeokuta. My friend, Idowu Benson, Esq, insisted we use the train and avoid the gridlock and insecurity of the our famished roads.
We headed to Mobalaji Johnson Station, Sabo, Yaba, to take the 8:30am train to honour our friend, Tobi, who is burying his mother.
We got there on time and quickly bought our business class tickets for just N3,000. Yes N3k.
But that’s not the gist. The story is the shock that welcomed me. The station is superbly built, better than our international and local airports.
I was amazed. Standard building, functioning public address system, clean environment, courteous staff, responsible passengers queuing up.
You see this country, we can get it right. All that is required is visionary leadership.
However, as excited as I am, I worry about maintenance. Knowing our poor maintenance culture, I fear that in a few years, facilities will start deteriorating. I hope measures are put in place to forestall this.
Meanwhile, you need to visit the train stations to believe since seeing is believing.
Congratulations to Nigeria. Congratulations to former president Goodluck Jonathan who started the groundbreaking work and president Muhammadu Buhari who didn’t abandone it the typical Nigeria way, but completed it.
•Source: Facebook
