Abidjan-Lagos corridor: The Traveller (22 February 2007)

Hi and welcome to


THE TRAVELLER

,
the news bulletin of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organisation produced in association with Irin Radio Corridor, aired on your favourite radio station
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THE TRAVELLER


guides you on the road from Abidjan to Lagos, and shows you all the obstacles. So, keep rolling.

TRUCKERS’CORNER

BENIN

For the transporters to be more responsible

Cotonou: On Monday, 19^th of February 2007, Beninois transporters met with the president of the republic. The Minister of transport, Mr. Richard Senou took the opportunity and reminded transporters of their responsibilities. “I hope you’re ready to accept there are problems within your sector. Your papers aren’t up-to-date, your driver’s licenses most of the time are fake licenses,” Mr. Senou said. “And you know people who make forged licenses. Some of them were arrested and set free two days later because those who must enforce the law are accomplices,” he added.

Mr. Senou didn’t beat about the bush. He openly accused transporters of not having right papers, left alone their vehicles. “We know that there are some ramshackle trucks, which pose problems to MOT. Nowadays, all trucks pass the MOT test because the day before, drivers hire tyres, lights, this and that,” he declared.

The meeting was an occasion to discuss road infrastructures, police and customs hassles, the behaviours of some drivers, and high cost of transport. Mr. Senou vowed to find a solution to the complaints of Urban Transport Tax drivers. “You complain of Urban Transport Tax. By the end of next week we will find very quickly a solution to that tax. We will see with the help of the minister of finance if that tax is eating up your meager revenues,” Mr. Senou promised.

According to the minister, the core of the problem is the sums of money policemen and customs officers along the road extort from drivers. “Everything derives from holding people to ransom. And it has very many sources. So, today we’re in a situation where everybody should recognize his or her faults. Therefore, we’ll take steps forward,” he invited. An invitation accepted by heads of police, customs and gendarmerie who recognized there is police racket, and promised to take necessary measures to stop it.

ABIDJAN-LAGOS ROAD

The hard reality of police racket along the corridor

Hilla Condji: Because of police racket, travelling along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor is not a happy experience. According to Cyrille Bodjinou, a Beninois driver who travels from Seme in Nigeria to Lome in Togo, passengers and drivers are racketed almost everywhere on the corridor.

“All the drivers know that. There are even passengers who are afraid to pay and they hand the money to the driver who’ll pay for them,” Mr Bodjinou said. He also reported having trouble with some policemen as he had some luggage and they wanted him to pay between 2,000 and 3,000 CFA francs. “I told them that you aren’t customs officers but policemen. But you know, if you don’t pay they won’t let you go,” he said.

At the Beninois village of Hilla Condji on the border with Togo, Beninois and Togolese policemen extort monies from irregular passengers, Mr. Bodjinou said. “At Hilla Condji border, we check in on the Beninois side and on the Togolese side, with no problem. But each passenger who has no valid paper will pay 500 CFA francs to Beninois police and to Togolese police,” he added.

And what about those who don’t have enough money to pay? “They are held in custody, or sent back,” Mr. Bodjinou answered. And that’s another problem the drivers must solve, Mr Bodjinou said. “They would go looking for the passenger only to realize they have been arrested by police. Drivers often go to beg for the police to free the passengers,” he added.

GHANA

To recognize immigration agents in order to chase the ‘Can I help you?’ boys

Elubo: To fight the presence of the ‘Can I help you?’ boys at Elubo border in Ghana, passengers are asked to seek the help of immigration officials. But first, they must recognize the colours they wear. Augustine Appiah, customs officer and chairman of Border Aids Control Committee of Elubo, the Ghanaian village bordering Cote d’Ivoire, launched this appeal.

“We also pleading, entreating travelers that they should take this simple description. Custom officers are in blue at Elubo border and so it is everywhere in Ghana. And the immigration officers are in green,” Mr. Appiah said. According to him, if travelers were used to dealing directly with the officials, they would have a place to seek redress if there were any problem. “So if they continue dealing with officials, the ‘Can I help you?’ boys who continue to be a problem, if they have nothing to do, will go by themselves,” he added.

Since the armed attack that happened the 12^th of January in Noé, the Ivorian village on the other side of the border, a great number of passengers take unapproved routes to enter Ghana. And this is beneficial to the ‘Can I help you?’ boys, some ill-intentioned young people who offer to help passengers only to extort monies from them. According to Mr. Appiah, they have become more numerous and the immigration service plans to take new measures.

“We are thinking of registering the ‘Can I help you?’ people, giving them numbers. Then in case they misbehave, we’ll be able to identify them,” he underlined. “Upon this, we would entreat any traveller who should deal with any ‘Can I help you?’ person to be careful and take note of this number,” he added.

The immigration service has also been reinforced and organized on the unapproved routes. “We now have enough personnel, border patrol units which have been created in Ghana by the immigration service to at least patrol the frontier and meet people who use the unapproved routes to collect the tax,” Mr. Appiah said.

During the attack, numerous people found refuge at Elubo. According to Mr. Appiah, some 4000 people, mostly women and children were housed at the Chief’s palace or in houses of people they know. To better face such a situation the future, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) organized a workshop on the 8^th and the 9^th of February 2007 in Takoradi. “With the UNHCR, we assessed the situation, what went wrong and what could be done to mitigate any such incident, in case it happened again,” he clarified.

Mr. Appiah restored confidence among passengers travelling on the Abidjan-Lagos, and passing through Elubo. “I just want to reassure passengers that the situation is under control. Some people still entertain fears so, we entreat them to do their normal business. Now business is normal. Everything is going on as usual. Passengers are crossing,” he declared.

REPAIRS AND CONSTRUCTION

COTE D’IVOIRE

Bonoua residents are getting used to the location of the new car park

Bonoua: A new car park has been opened in Bonoua, in south western Cote d’Ivoire. The new car park is located at the entrance of the town while coming from Abidjan, a location well appreciated by Justin Boni, a driver who goes to Bonoua every month. “The location of the new car park is good. We feel good while we are there and we don’t waste much time there before going back. The site is good,” he declared.

But the location is appreciated in various ways. For Fulgence Aka Koffi, the car park is off-centered and its exit is dangerous as it opens on the international Abidjan-Lagos road.

“The car opens on the international highway that goes to Nigeria through Ghana. So the exit is dangerous,” he said. “And if your bus reaches Bonoua at 9PM, you’ll find it difficult to leave the car park because Bonoua taxis stop running at 9PM,” Koffi added.

And what does Claude Chinda, another Bonoua resident think about it? “I think it’s the same. When the car park was located at the roundabout, people who live in Bégnéri would take a taxi to go there,” he answered. “I believe the new park has a good location because the older one couldn’t be well seen because of the roundabout. I think it’s well located,” he concluded.

That’s all for today’s THE TRAVELLER. Join us again next week, but for now, travel safely, and protect yourself. The life you save is your own and that of a loved one