Drive Time:
Awka – Atta 2.5hrs
Atta – Umukabia 1hr
Umukabia – Uyo 2hrs
So far, we’ve driven for a total of 6,331 km (Abuja – Akwa Ibom). The days are going by really quickly and since the states in the South are much smaller than those up North, we’re now averaging three states/day.
We started out at Awka and made a beeline for our first stop of the day, Atta in Ikeduru local government area of Imo state.
A few metres from Awka, there was a little drama involving men of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) office. They insisted our vehicle documentation was complete except for some state tax sticker. Even though we eventually sorted things out, one couldn’t help but wonder why these supposed IGR men set up an impromptu office on the high way. I thought their motive might be a bit shady when one of the IGR team asked to see our waste bin. The driver patiently showed him a bucket always kept at the back of the truck, but Mr. IGR immediately snapped, saying it wasn’t the recommended waste bin. When I didn’t utter a word, the matter was dropped.
A travel tip: Beware of the endless road blocks/ stops in the Southern part of Nigeria. The checks are many atimes mindless. In the North, this wasn’t our experience.
The highlight of the day was the visit to the Atta Health Centre. There, we met and chatted with Hajara who had given birth to a baby girl yesterday night, of course by..... [rusty] kerosene lantern! As we were shown round the clinic by the staff Nurse, Ibeawuchi Amarachi, Hajara was quite curious about the solar lamp and shyly asked what it was. We explained, and her immediate thought was that it would be nice to have the room lit up when she had her next baby!
Considering Hajara had just had her 4th child, we all burst out laughing at her cheekiness. However, our local contact, Reverend Sister Stella Onyemaobi, had the presence of mind to gently advise Hajara to immediately consider family planning.
Seriously though, lighting is such an important element of everyday life, even in rural areas. News of our visit quickly reached the monarch of Atta, HRH Eze Ben Uduneho Eziako – the Olu Oha I of Atta West - and he sent a representative (Mr. Geoffrey Akubunmadu – Vice President, Atta West) to thank us for our gift and pray for us.
Nothing was different at our next stop, the Umukabia Health Centre. This village, like each and every one we have been to, is so deprived of electricity that any access to slightly better alternatives to torchlights, kerosene lanterns, candles, and mobile phone lighting, is a hugely uplifting experience for them.
In Umukabia, we were hosted by the monarch, His Majesty, Eze Samuel Nwaubani JP.
Connectivity
Internet: GLO mobile Internet was consistently strong, even on the road between Umuahia and Uyo.
Mobile phone: In both villages (Atta, Umukabia), we found MTN to be the better/stronger network. In Uyo, Glo worked better.
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