Route 012: Theodore Ogedegbe
On my street in Asaba, there’s a woman that sells bole and beans in the evenings. Most times, I try to delay a bit because as her last customer for the day, I get extra portions. However, coming home late has its dangers. During election periods, I watch out for violence. Sometimes, the street is super quiet because something terrible happened during the day.— Theodore, Asaba.
Our questions are italicised.
What is your favourite memory about the street you grew up on?
I grew up in many places but the place I stayed the longest is Asaba. My family moved to Asaba in 2006 and we lived behind Stephen Keshi Stadium. Because of the stadium, I got to interact with different types and classes of people. There was no predominant tribe or class per se. In fact, some prominent people in today’s sport climate were my childhood friends. World champion, Divine Oduduru, and I used to walk to school everyday. Blessing Okagbare, Akpo Ogunna, Savage — I got to mix with these people before they became the megastars that they are now. Also, the River Niger is at the end of the street so we used to go there and throw pebbles in the water.
What’s your fondest sports-related childhood memory?
I had an accident in 2006 where I sustained a minor fracture on my left leg. Because of this, my mother insisted I didn’t participate in my JSS 2 inter-house sports competition. So, imagine her fury when she discovered that I was on the relay team. I remember that she created a scene with my teachers and coach at the time. When she found out it was too late for me to quit the team because I was already on the field, she pulled my ears and told me ‘you had better do well’. We eventually finished second and I won a medal.
What is the longest you have ever had to travel for something?
In 2019, I spent 2 days on the road. I was going from Ibadan to Asaba. Ordinarily, it shouldn’t take more than 8–10 hours but there was insane traffic jam between Ore and Benin. I had to stop to sleep in Ore before continuing my trip the next day.
Where do you live now?
I live in Ibadan, Oyo state.
What is your daily commute?
I work remotely, but when I step out, I don’t go beyond Ojoo, Bodija, UI, and Moniya. On a regular weekday, I jog from NISER area to Shasha — where the new train terminal is — and then to Ajibode junction and back to my house, covering 4 kilometres. It takes me about 15 minutes. Then I write a bit at home. In the late morning, I go to UI where I teach some private tutorial classes. Then, I go home to write again. In the evenings, I teach another tutorial class. Depending on the day, I might go to Ojoo market to buy foodstuff.
Car, Okada, Bus- what do you consider the best mode of transport for getting around Asaba?
Asaba is quite complex compared to Ibadan where cabs can drive anywhere. In Asaba, cabs and buses don’t drive along the road within the city, they drive on the express. So you’ll only see kekes (tricycles) within the city, and bikes within the city. So the mode of transport you use depends on where you are going. The safest and cheapest way to move around is via drops (chartered cabs that take you to your destination directly). It’s ironic because everywhere else, drops are more expensive. Going out in Asaba, I’d have to take a bike to the junction of my street. Then I’ll take a keke to the main road before I even start my journey. But if I take a drop, I spend less and I have a smoother transit.
If you’re going for speed, then bikes are your best bet. Asaba is a really small place so it is easy to travel around. It’s about one-tenth of Ibadan. Having a car only comes in handy if you already know how to navigate the city.
What is a notable difference between the town you grew up in and the town you live in now?
I grew up in Asaba and I now live in Ibadan. For me, the first one was language. I heard a lot of Yoruba when I moved to Ibadan. I mean, people would meet me for the first time and just assume I understood Yoruba. The lingua franca in Asaba is pidgin English. There are at least 10–15 tribes within Delta state, a mix of Itsekhiri, Ijaw, Igbo, Yoruba. So, we just speak pidgin English.
Another difference is the opening hours. People in Ibadan don’t open for business on time, especially food-related businesses. Why do I have to wait till 9 before you start selling food? My stomach does not wait for 9 o’clock to open. In Asaba, from as early 7am, you can get something to eat and they stay open till 11.
In Asaba, there are Yoruba parts. I mean, you can still find Yoruba meals like Amala to eat. In Sapele for instance, there is Yoruba Road. But there are a lot of meals from Asaba that I don’t see here, like Abacha, Bole and Beans, Banga soup. I have to go from UI axis to Ologuneru to get proper Banga soup and the cost of transportation ends up being higher than the cost of food.
What is a notable difference between the Asaba you grew up in and the Asaba that now stands today?
We have better roads and draining systems. Before, there’d be a standstill for about an hour after rainfall because everywhere would be flooded. The city is very close to River Niger so it gets flooded easily. While it still gets flooded, it is not as bad as it used to be. Also, Asaba has expanded now, I mean geographically. Take a town like Okpanam for example. It’s not a part of Asaba per se but development has caught up with them such that the inhabitants can claim to be a part of the city. So Asaba is moving from being a state capital to being a metropolis in all sense of the word.
We also have better infrastructure. It’s almost like there’s a hotel on every street. There is an increasing craze for hotels and fast food. Asaba is a transit city in the sense that you have to go through it if you’re travelling to the East, like Ore is to Benin. If you’re coming from Lagos, you’ll probably get to Asaba in the evening because of the traffic in Onitsha. So, it makes sense that you will need a place to lodge when you get to Asaba. Some might dare to link the development of hotels to the promiscuity of people in Asaba.
What’s one dish everyone must try in Asaba?
Bole and beans. You haven’t been to Asaba if you haven’t had it.
What’s one dish everyone must try in Ibadan?
Ikokore. I had it at my friend’s party here in Ibadan, and I think it’s definitely worth the hype.
What is one distinct, irreplaceable feature of where you live now?
There’s a sense of community here in Ibadan, especially around UI where I live. In my time here, I have seen people come and go, however, the sense of community has remained tangible. It extends to the people who sell things around and how they are always trying to build familiarity and rapport with the residents. When I hang my clothes to dry and go out, I’m not scared that they will get wet when rain falls. I am assured that someone is going to help me take them from the line.
When was the last time you visited a new city/state?
I’ve been through a lot of cities in Nigeria. The last time I deliberately visited a new place must have been 2019. I went to Enugu to see a friend. I was already living in Ibadan at the time so I went on a road trip with three of my friends. We went from Lagos, to Abraka, then Enugu, and then back to Ibadan. Abraka is a town in Delta state. There are about 3 beaches in the town and it plays host to Delta State University. It was from there that we decided to go to the coal city (Enugu). The road trip lasted about 2 weeks because I had snuck out of school. The road trip was very memorable. There were some bad experiences like our cards getting declined while we tried to lodge. But there were some very high points like the food. The akpu and egusi was very different from the ones I was used to. The way one is surrounded by Yoruba in Ibadan, I was surrounded by a different dialect of Igbo in Enugu. In fact, people think you’re acting posh if you speak English.
What is one place everyone should visit before they turn 20?
It’s between Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state and the plateaus in Jos. Obudu Cattle Ranch has resorts for getaways and staycations. With a budget of two hundred thousand naira (N200,000), you can have a good time there for about 2 weeks. You should call ahead to book your lodging. There are service apartments there so you don’t have to worry too much about that. I’d say you should wear comfortable clothes when you’re travelling because the resort is quite far from Calabar — the capital — so it is a long trip. In all, it’s worth the stress and a perfect way to get a break from the rest of the world.
What is something you know about Delta that not too many people know?
Some people think Delta is a random name but the state is named after the way the river spreads across the state, the pattern with which the river flows through creeks in the state.
Also, when people find out I grew up here, their first reaction is to ask me to ‘speak Deltan’. It’s almost like asking me to ‘speak Nigerian’. Delta is made up of different tribes and cultures so there is no one ‘Delta language’. The mix and influence of languages across cultures is very interesting. For example, there’s an ethnic group in Delta state called Olukomi. They speak a combination of Igbo and Yoruba. You can hear something like ‘wa ni be’ to mean ‘come here’. ‘Wa’ is Yoruba for ‘come’. ‘Ebe’ is Igbo for ‘place’ or ‘somewhere’.
Then there’s Itsekeri’s language which Oritsefemi, the musician, speaks. That is what people refer to as ‘Delta Yoruba’. ‘Delta Igbo’ is Igbo with variance from other Igbo dialects. It is not the only varied Igbo dialect. Ika Igbo, for instance, sounds like Edo. Ukwuani is the Urhobo’s Igbo. These dialects are influenced by their neighbouring communities. Ika uses Edo’s ‘Oba’ for ‘King’ rather than Igbo’s ‘Obi’. Ukwuani calls ‘oil’ ‘ofigbo’ just like the Urhobos rather than Igbo’s ‘mmanu’. These variances happen because the tribes share a border and influence each other. States beyond the River Niger like Anambra, Imo, speak a different dialect of Igbo.
I said that to say that there is no ‘Delta’ language.
What is a route you know by heart?
Anywhere in Asaba. In fact, I know the route from Ibadan to Asaba by heart. It’s quite easy, really. From Ibadan, you take a bus that will pass through Ikire (the home of sweet Dodo Ikire) and Gbogan to Ife, Modakeke. Once you leave Osun State, you’ll go through Ijebu-Ijesha and alight at Ondo State. From the garage in Ondo State, take another bus going to Edo State. The driver will take you through Ore and Ofosu. In Edo, you’ll pass Benin, Ike-Adolor, and Ozanogo. Once you get to Izilukwu, you can prepare to alight from the bus because Asaba is in front of you.
What is one thing you always look forward to seeing on your street?
On my street in Asaba, there’s a woman that sells bole and beans in the evenings. Most times, I try to delay a bit because as her last customer for the day, I get extra portions. However, coming home late has its dangers. During election periods, I watch out for (traces of) violence. Sometimes, the street is super quiet because something terrible happened during the day.
Have you ever witnessed violence in your environment?
Countless times. I remember 2006 in Sapele. There was a campaign in the market leading up to the 2007 elections. I was in the shop with my grandmother when, all of a sudden, there was a clash between two parties. We had to run out of the shop and I fell into the gutter. There was a stampede and someone stepped on my head.
A few years after, I was in my grandmother’s room on holiday. On an ordinary afternoon, the Joint Task Force came to our village to raid for militants. One minute, I was chatting with my family, the next minute, there were gunshots everywhere and we had to lie flat on the floor. The whole militant and oil spill business is a constant thorn in our flesh. I mean, Tompolo’s community no longer exists. They have literally been wiped out as a result of the constant oil spills and water pollution. There’s also the case of ethnic clashes between communities fighting for the majority share of government resources.
The last location you texted or tweeted is where you’ll live next. It is: ___
I tweeted about Kenya. East Africa has always intrigued me so it’s not a bad deal for me.
Theodore is an author and a student at the University of Ibadan. When he is not writing or teaching, he is playing football.
About Routes
Routes by GatePass is mapping African stories one route at a time. This project sits at the intersection of life stories and mobility in African contexts. Through Routes, we explore how African lives are shaped by mobility, migration, journeys, and modes of transport; and how places take on the stories of the people who have visited or passed through them.
Do you or someone you know have an interesting mobility story? Do you have a hack for moving around your city, or know something about your city’s history that not too many people know? Tell your story. We’re open to submissions and looking forward to reading!
Email: routes[at]gatepass[dot]io
Connect with Us
Twitter: GatePass
Instagram: GatePass_
Editorial Team
Editor / Publisher — Wale Lawal
Sub-Editor — Muyideen Dosumu
Interviewer — Ore Oyinlola
Illustrator — David Akinyemi
