BEARS: Waiting For Godot At Train Stations

There was an ugly experience at the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) last week. MMS Plus correspondence had visited NRC on an investigative tour but was shocked to see the crowd waiting for Godot (trains) at the Ebutte Metta station. Passengers had been expecting the 8:00am train but it didn’t show up and at 12noon the passengers multiplied as they expressed hope that the other trains expected by 1:00pm would arrive. The result was as fortunate as the play ‘Waiting for Godot’ where Vladmir and Estragon (two characters) waited endlessly for the arrival of Godot in Samuel Beckett’s first professional play. Only this time Godot appeared when an archaic train came around 5:30pm.

In the spirit of Sallah celebrations, one rickety coach rescued the situation around 5:30 pm. The train had been battered with feces and urine, but the passengers didn’t mind as they rushed in. Nigerian Railway needs cleansing. It needs trains befitting Nigerians. We aren’t asking for electronic trains, just modest standard gauge trains!