Nigerian roads: The bane of Travel tourism

We woke up to a terrible news in the family this Sunday.
An uncle lost his first son to the roads of Ikirun.
He was a 13 years old going on 14 years old student of The Bells Comprehensive Secondary School, Ota.
He had gone on excursion with his school mates to Ikogosi warm spring. He actually got to see the spring but he never made it home to give his family details of the trip.

According to reports, the tyre of the bus busted and somersaulted, he  and another female student died on the spot, other passengers are currently in the hospital with various degrees of injuries.

Some have wondered why I have not explored a lot of places in Nigeria as much as I should but I tell you the roads are bad. Bad is putting it mildly, the roads are terrible. A trip which should take one few minutes would turn into hours due to the terrible roads.

Travelling is a beautiful thing, especially when you do not have to worry about bad roads, robbery and kidnappings. Nigeria is blessed with a lot of natural landscapes waiting to be discovered. The joy of sharing those moments captured with family and friends, knowing they are green with envy wishing they were in your shoes.

But no one wishes to be in your shoes when tragedy struck, then you hear such words as, 'She too dey waka waka', "her yansh no dey stay one place". In the case of this little boy, people were talking about how they can never allow their child go on excursions.

When I lived in Ilorin, the Oyo-Ogbomosho road used to give me headaches, I was always in fear while passing that road. Even if I was asleep, the moment the car steps on that road, my eyes would fly open.

Last month, I spent 5 hours traveling to and fro a road in Kwara state that should not have taken me more than 1 hour.

A lot of lives has been lost on our roads, now my mum has warned my younger sister "never in her life ask her for money to go on any school excursion".

Travelling around Nigeria would be fun if only the roads were motorable.

May your soul rest in peace, Oluwapelumi Bakre

♥Lara

Entrepreneurs Don'ts: Underpay your staffs

Source: Lifehack Quotes

I can't help but agree with words in the picture above.

If you pay peanuts, you can never get the best employee, and even if you do by chance get a really great employee, it is only a matter of time before he/she moves on to 

A lot of Nigerian employers believe they are doing their employees a favour by paying them salaries not now talk of a fair salary.

The whole essence of any working is to take care of their physiological needs (going all Maslow hierarchy of needs). If an employee is not able to take care of this, there is no way on earth he/she will give the best your company needs. 

An underpaid staff will never deliver to the best of his/her potential

An underpaid staff is always on the look out for the next best thing, his/her is not 100% at work. And worst, he/she will spend the time you are paying peanuts for to look for another job.

As an entrepreneur, you might think you are reducing cost, but in the long run it will affect the business.  Imagine having to source and train new employees every 6 months or 1 year. A lot of productive hours will be lost.

If you underpay a staff and he/she does not leave your company be rest assured that staff has no where else to move to.

♥Lara

It's a wrap

My love affair with Ilorin came to an end on 1st of June.
10 months after, I moved all my 'kaya' from the town that I called home.
The journey was  not smooth sailing but then had developed me and made me a better person.

I miss rolling out of my bed at 7am to report to work at 8am.
I miss the simple less stressful life I lived.
But then, it was time to move on and grow.

I got stuck in a rut.
I must say, I never did 'fit in' in Ilorin.
I was always that Lagos girl who was used to a fast paced of getting things done and proactiveness.
Ilorin is laid back and the people always asked, 'Kini karamo mi'
In as much as I am not a fan of the madness called Lagos, Ilorin is not a town I would love to settle down in.
I am just not of that life.

I got to spend my last week travelling round Kwara, visited my maternal grandfather's hometown in Offa, made it to the border town of Nigeria and Benin Republic 'Chikanda', ate cold suya in a town called 'Okuta'.

Lagos is home again, for how long I do not know...only the future can answer that.

Wishing you all a fulfilling and  successful month of June.

♥Lara