Raha


I couldn't think of a title to this post, Then Mombasa Raha came to my mind.

I wrote this 7months ago *Lazy Asake* Enjoy

It was a beautiful morning in the Month of June; we set out at 7am and didn't get to our destination till few minutes past 10am. I hadn't been on 3rd Mainland route since April. We drove pass the new development, I remembered my mom once told me about Ilado. From what I can remember, it should be from the end of Muri Okunola to Lekki phase 1.. My grandma (sometimes called Mama Ilado- Some Yoruba use residential area to name differentiate older people, e.g Mummy South C, Mummy Ojota, Mama Tema etc) used to live there before it was taken over by the government and some of them were relocated to Ikota.

Lekki expressway felt different, after the first toll gate, I noticed the MTN cube advert, it was eye catchy, then I saw the second toll gate, I did not know it had been completed. From Lekki toll gate 2 to Lekki free trade zone’s junction the road was something to write home about. It reminded me about the drive to Lekki Free trade zone during Ehingbeti(Lagos Economic summit), I thought if only this "trade zone" can come to reality. Deep sea dock, airport, shipping of goods directly to Ogun instead of unloading it in Lagos, rail line etc. My imagination was cut short when people started talking about the Land mass in Ankodo and how it will be good for farming. Why are we not using this as farm land, $600,000 bribe will go a long way in Agriculture. I slowly returned to my imaginative world, what if all that was said at Ehingbeti will be actualised, does that mean Lagos can plant in neighbouring state for mutual benefit, then someone echoed my imagination. States like Osun, Ekiti, Akure, Kwara should be feeding Nigeria, if the financial and service hub is Lagos, let other contribute their quota to the GDP. We should develop a train system where people can work in Lagos and live in Osun-"coined from Aregbesola's speech at the closing ceremony of Ehingbeti".

We finally arrived at our destination. Then “what if” and “why” questions continued. Our destination was about 30minutes with no traffic from Akondo. The land mass will drop your jaw. If the place was well managed and advertised, it will give Mombasa a run for its money. We played volley ball, beach soccer and also swang. Their food was on point, they had flats and cottages. They tried to keep the African culture alive with their dressing and form of greeting. There was a place where the lake and the ocean met.

Before making phone calls, I laid on the "beach long sit" facing the ocean, I could hear the music, it sounded like a live band, the water as the vocalist, the breeze and wave as the band members. When I told a friend of mine I was going for "team bonding" he told me that was where his friend proposed there last year. No doubt, this place is definitely a romantic spot but to proposal not for me. If your man usually takes you to such a place, you might not suspect proposal but am sure I will suspect. I am very inquisitive; I would have asked 15,000 questions before we get there.

#DearFutureHusband, if you choose to propose please don't make it obvious... I can give you tips (big smile)

"This place is beautiful, I want to bring my wife here, she has always wanted to come here. If only I have a car", my colleague said. That's more like it I said to myse

Zanzibar
After all said and done, we really need to revive the tourism industry in Nigeria.

Mombasa, Carribeans, Seychelle Island, Libraville, Zanzibar.... What do they have in common? They have something that impact their GDP big time..

I remember starting a proposal to send to Lagos State government when I was a sophomore in college but I stopped, why I don't know. The opportunities are endless and the quitter (like me) are also many.

Till next time, make someone smile...

Edited by Opson Eniola Dada  
Zanzibar pic from http://soberinthecauldron.blogspot.com/2012/04/unusual-travel-mustszanzibar.html

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