No fewer than 13,000 Nigerians have returned to the country from Cote dIvoire where a civil war broke out as a result of the election held in the country in November 2010, but among them was a 37-year-old Reuben Oyeniyi who rode on a motorbike to Nigeria from Abidjan. Reuben, in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, said that he escaped to Nigeria with his seven-year-old son, Jacob, on the motorbike.I am Mr Reuben Oyeniyi of Ojesanmis Compound, Aiyegbogbo Area, Ejigbo. I was born in 1974 and after my primary school, I learnt welding in Ejigbo before I moved to Abidjan in Cote dIvoire to complete the apprenticeship. I left Ejigbo for Abidjan in 1995 and after I graduated as a welder, I started practising and I resided at Ajemie, a suburb of Abidjan. While there, I had many customers and my business name is Bo ti wu Oluwa lo n sola which means Dieu Donne Qui il veut in French.He explained that Abidjan was a very good place to stay, especially for the practice of his job, welding, because, electricity was constant and there was no power failure. Materials were always available. So there was no problem of electricity as we experience it here. Since I arrived here, we have only had light for about two or three days before they took it away. There was no such thing over there. In Cote dIvoire, you do your work at your own pace.On how he left Cote dIvoire, he said I left the place because of the war which was getting worse daily. Though, I did not plan to leave on the day that I left because early in the morning on that day, I had taken my wife to where she would board a vehicle to some markets in villages to buy her wares. My wife is a trader and she left Ajemi early in the morning. But on March 25, 2011, soldiers invaded the town and they were killing people indiscriminately. I saw corpses everywhere on the street. It was then that I decided that I would leave for Nigeria to be with my people. I left at about 10.00a.m. with my seven-year-old child, Jacob Oyeniyi, who was with me. I was only wearing my working uniform and I could no longer enter my house, because the solders had taken over the place. I put my son, Jacob on my Haojue Suzuki motorcycle with registration number 8819 EVOL and left the war-torn country without my wife and other childrenI am married with five children. I have triplets as my first born, followed by twins. My wife had left for the market when we wanted to leave. I could not get in touch with her. I left with my only son because we had to scamper to safety, otherwise, we might have been killed. I did not tell my wife that I was coming to Nigeria. I did not take any cloth other than my uniform which is a French suit. I put my son in the front of the motorcycle and when we got out of the war zone, I bought bread which my son took for three days. I did not take food or water for the three days which the trip took us. We left Ajemi at about 10.00 a.m. on Friday and we arrived in Ejigbo on Sunday at 11.00 a.m. The journey took us about 49 hours. Speaking on how he got money to finance the trip, he said When I was going to work on that day, I had 15, 000 CFA on me. That was what I spent to buy fuel which took me to Ghana and when I got to Ghana to take my travelling documents (Lasse passe), two custom officers with three stars on their uniforms gave me 10, 000 CFA when I complained to them that I had no money for fuel. Also, in Togo, another officer gave me 5,000 CFA and from there, I went to Cotonou and to Seme through where I entered Lagos. I rode through Lagos to Ibadan and to Iwo and finally to Ejigbo.He added that he did not encounter much problem, especially in Ghana, Togo and Cotonou, saying, it was when I got to Nigeria that some policemen were troubling me, especially, when they saw foreign number on my motorcycle.I told them that I escaped from the war zone in Abidjan. I showed them the particulars of the motorcycle, but some were still demanding for money and I told them that I had no money and that if they had money, they should give me.In all the places I got to on my way home, there was no problem as such. Everybody I met had compassion on me, especially when I told them that I escaped from the war zone.He stated that when I was coming, my son whom I placed in front of my motorcycle was always sleeping and anytime he woke up and complained of hunger, I gave him bread and water.That was what I did for the three days that we spent on the road. Throughout the three days, I did not sleep as I was travelling both day and night.We left on Friday and arrived at Ejigbo at about 11.00 a.m. on Sunday.On whether he had got in touch with his wife, Reuben said Yes, I got in touch with her on telephone. She is still at the village where she went for her trade.She could not come back to Abidjan but she is safe where she is now because I have spoken to her by phone.Asked whether he would like to go back, Reuben said I will like to go back, especially to pack my belongings if they have not stolen them. But I will prefer to stay here if I can get anybody to assist me by setting me up in my trade.I know that Im very good at my welding job, and I will like to continue doing the work here.The war in Cote dIvoire has taught us some lessons. If things are okay here, I will prefer to stay around my relations at home if I can get people to assist me.In Ajemie, I had about five apprentices and many customers and if I can get my tools and get some money to start my work, I will not like to go back.The war experience in Cote dIvoire is not something to laugh at. Many people thought that their relations are still in Cote dIvoire, they may not know that they have been killed because many innocent people were killed by the solders on both sides of the war.It is after the war that they would know whether their relations are still alive or not.Reuben, a member of the First Baptist Church in Ajemie where he is a member of the Royal Ambassadors (R.A) now attends Ebenezer Baptist Church, Ayegbogbo, Ejigbo.The returnees, who are indigenes of Iwo and Ejigbo in Osun State, did not mince words in casting aspersions on the insensitivity and unconcerned attitude of the Federal Government to their plight in Cote dIvoire.Aliu Shittu, one of the returnees from Iwo Local Government Area who spoke on Sunday at Iwo, lamented that the Federal Government has failed to live up to its responsibilities or its citizenry living outside the shores of the country.He explained that majority of them felt more aggrieved considering the fact that the current chairman of the African Union (AU), who is also Nigerias president, Goodluck Jonathan, failed to rise to the challenges, adding that one of the high points of the oath which the president took when assuming the leadership of the country was that he would protect the integrity of the country and her citizens.Speaking further on how they managed to escape from Abidjan, Shittu stressed that many Nigerians were still languishing and trapped in the country engulfed with civil strife following the protracted presidential election in the country. He declared that since the government of Nigeria failed them, they came home on their own.In the heat of the crisis in Abidjan, every nation, especially those in the West African region, rose to the challenge by evacuating their citizens from the war- ravaged country, it was Nigerian government that failed in that responsibility.The most astonishing fact about the returnees is that those who were actually born in Abidjan and had had no opportunity of visiting their country before the crisis found it extremely difficult to locate their relations. Though, a temporary shelter, in form of sheds, was provided for them by the Ejigbo Local Government to alleviate their suffering, another problem confronting them at present is that some of them have exhausted the money on them. This makes it very difficult for them to feed.Also speaking on behalf of the returnees at Ejigbo, Mr Abdulrasak Salami said that the problems they faced were feeding and health related, especially their women and children.Mr Salami said that the returnees fled from the country because their lives were in danger. He lamented that many Nigerians resident in Cote d Ivoire were exposed to danger while some lost their lives in the war that recently broke out.Mr Salami said that many of the returnees could not take any of their belongings before they decided to come to Nigeria, adding that transport fare from Abidjan to Ejigbo increased from about N10,000 to N15,000 when the war broke out.He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to come to their aid as many Nigerians were still stranded in Cote d Ivoire.He also appealed to all tiers of government and well to do individuals to assist them with foodstuff and medication.Though, the residents, including some traditional rulers and personalities have since been rendering assistance to them by way of providing food and clothing as well as providing places for them to put their heads.Among the Nigerians leaving in Abidjan, there is no doubt the fact that majority of them are from Osun State. It is not an overstatement if one says Abidjan has become their second home after Nigeria. These Nigerians dominated the Ivorian commercial sector and other sectors of the economy while there had been intermarriages between Nigerians and the Ivorians.But as a palliative measure, Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola last week visited the returnees in Iwo and Ejigbo to show administrations concern and identify with them since their arrival in the country. It was also gathered that Osun State government has raised a delegation to urgently evacuate the remaining stranded indigenes from the crisis ridden country while the delegation had left for Cote dIvoire on Friday April 8, to help evacuate Osun people who are still stranded there.The government said it was committed to helping to resettle them back in Nigeria.Governor Rauf Aregbesola, accompanied by his deputy, Mrs Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori and other top government functionaries, assured them of his maximum support and doled out a sum of N10 million, 200 bags of rice, 100 bags of beans, beverages, medical facilities, including some drugs and toiletries.Addressing the returnees, Governor Aregbesola promised to work with the Federal Government to ensure that all stranded indigenes of the state currently in Cote d Ivoire are evacuated.He, however, blamed the crisis in Cote dIvoire on the failure of leadership saying, if some of our leaders in Nigeria and their counterparts in Abidjan had been responsible, the crisis in Cote dIvoire would have been averted.Aregbesola also called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and all other African heads of state to quickly intervene in the crisis that had engulfed the country.In Iwo and Ejigbo, the governor called on the people to extend the hand of fellowship to their brothers and sisters who have just returned from Abidjan, assuring that, government will not fail in its responsibility to alleviate their sufferings.According to him, we urge our people to support their brothers and sisters who have just returned from Abidjan. In our capacity as government, we will do all we can to alleviate the stress of the displaced people in Cote dIvoire.He also assured that Osun State government will leave no stone unturned in evacuating all the state indigenes that are stranded in Cote dIvoire.The governor further said that directives had been given to the local government councils in the state to ensure how life would be made better and comfortable for the returnees in the state.As a responsible government, we have decided to share in the plight of the returnees by ensuring that they settle down quickly. We have arranged with their local governments of origin to put in place welfare package that will at least make their stay comfortable.Also, the wife of the governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola visited the returnees and donated food items and drugs at Ejigbo and Iwo.Addressing the returnees, Mrs Aregbesola said that they would henceforth enjoy free medical services in the state government hospitals.Mrs Aregbesola, however, lamented that the crisis which arose as a result of the Cote d Ivoire elections could not have arisen if the former president,Mr Laurent Gbagbo had respect the wishes of the people before he was arrested recently.She promised that the Osun State government would provide more assistance to make them more comfortable in their hometowns, saying that, the government would soon come out with an action plan to assist the returnees.In his address, the chairman, caretaker Committee, Ejigbo Local Government, Mr Abiodun Akinwale said that the problem facing the returnees was feeding since they did not plan to come home by the time the war broke out.He said that the council was planning to assist the returnees, adding that they are still members of our community.Mr Akinwale also advised the returnees not to allow politicians to use them for dirty jobs during the elections. He thanked the state government for coming to the assistance of the returnees.Meanwhile, the Osun State government has sent some buses to Cote dIvoire to evacuate the indigenes of the state who are still stranded in the war-ravaged country.The buses, manned by OYES VOLUNTEERS, left the state last Thursday.
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