Thursday, September 6, 2007

Suffering and Shivering ! - Dividends of Democracy !

For about 3days now in Portharcourt, the civil servants, public servants and self-employed have been enjoying what I termed "Suffering and Shivering".

The rain has been pouring continuously and the weather is terribly cold. Unfortunately, it is as if the rain has chosen the critical hours in the day of a worker to fall. In the morning, it falls seriously between 5a.m and 7a.m thereby making life difficult for those going to work. When you add the rain plus bad roads and traffic jam, then you will understand what it means to be SUFFERING AND SHIVERING.

Many workers in the bid to beat the traffic and make it to their workplace on time, use Okada Transportation (motorcycle). So I see people on Okada, getting soaked in the rain while the cyclist is struggling to navigate traffic jam caused by pot holes.

If you want to watch this drama, just find your way down to Rumuodara junction, the situation is not funny, but it is a scene to behold.
The same senario repeats itself in the evening. Once it is 5p.m many of the junctions in Portharcourt becomes no go area. Vehicles are forced to slow down because of potholes and bumps (Port-Harcourts legacy of "dividends of Democracy"), impatient drivers try to use oncoming vehicle's lane to hurriedly overtake vehicles in their front and before you know it, a chaotic situation whereby no movement is possible is created. Then the rain comes in to baptise every one. The traffic wardens run for cover and it is time for SUFFERING AND SHIVERING - part 2.

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