No thanks to the somewhat mandatory youth service attached to higher education in my country, I would've had no business spending some serious amount of time in a rural environment. And, from my tone, you can easily deduce that my stay in the place was not an enjoyable one.
If I were to count, all my life I think I have spent a total of about 14 months in three different villages. Interestingly, I was already an adult when I stayed in those villages. And it was at different stages of my life. The first six months of those 14 was when I interned at a petroleum depot in my state. That was my first taste of rural life - and it was enjoyable.
One of the obvious advantages of rural settlements is the calm and relatively quiet environment. Due to the population density of rural settlements, people do have more than enough space to do whatever they want without encroaching or disturbing the peace of others. That was the first thing I noticed at Odigbo.
Each morning, I'd wake up and leave for work with the minimum of fuse. The road network wasn't complex, and all I had to do was stand in front of my residence and wave down commercial motorcyclists. It was simple, easy and straightforward at the same time. There was no early morning bickering or someone complaining about not being greeted. It was peaceful.
The second thing I enjoyed to the fullest while I was there was the relatively stable electricity. For the most part of my life, I've gotten used to having electricity for about four to eight hours daily. At Odigbo, it was different - we were having as much as 20 hours of electricity on a daily basis. It was the perfect fit for me because whenever I wasn't at work, I was at home. Watching TV and playing games helped me stay busy on my days off work.
When my six months were done, I wished it wouldn't end. I had thoroughly enjoyed my stay in the place and was sad to leave. That was really my first impression of rural environments. And I assumed rural areas must be wonderful for those who've stayed there all their lives until I stayed in another and experienced quite the opposite.
The last six months of my compulsory service year was spent in another rural environment. Ironically, Araromi and Odigbo belong to the same local government area. However, that was where the similarities between these two settlements ended. In fact, my stay in Araromi was what nightmares are made of - the stuff of legends. Even till today, I'm still tormented.
The first day I arrived at Araromi I felt uneasy, the environment looked tense and unfriendly. I never read any meaning to that. I felt I was just uncomfortable because of the long journey I travelled to get there. After resting for a while, I decided to take a gentle walk around the area. There, I was hit with a bombshell - they've not had electricity for about 10 years.
When I heard that I felt like pulling my hair out. The only words I kept muttering were, "How the hell did I get myself here? Fukkk!" Despite seeing peaceful looking people, the news that there was no electricity ruined my mood. I never really recovered from that nightmare till I left the place.
As if the issue of electricity wasn't enough, their transport system was terrible. My place of assignment was in the next village. There were days I'd spent 30 minutes on the roadside waiting for transport. Whenever I get one, I'd be merged with another person on a motorcycle or forced to pay an exorbitant fare. I remembered a day I was to ride with a locust bean seller who had her goods in a box she held tight to. I nearly puked when I got to my destination.
Asides the lack of electricity and poor transport system, Araromi was an insecure settlement. There was a day I travelled to my hometown. When I got back to Araromi, I was met with an uneasy calmness. I was about to go watch a Champions League match when my neighbor told me not to stay too late outside. He told me while I was away there was a communal clash between the youths and some Fulani herdsmen.
The next few days were tormenting. Most people were scared the herdsmen would come back for a reprisal attack. For three straight nights, cows without herdsmen roamed around day and night. I could barely sleep out of fear because we've seen what those herdsmen can do to people. I wouldn't like to get slaughtered like a cow all in the name of serving my country.
When my time was done at Araromi, I celebrated it with friends. I was finally going to escape the hellhole I had been plunged into. I left feeling exhausted, and all the good memories I had of rural settlements from my time at Odigbo disappeared.
If I were to choose now between rural and urban, my choice is as clear as daylight. Yes, urban settlements are loud and noisy, but I've not seen an urban settlement that has had to endure 10 years without electricity. In terms of transportation, in urban settlements, one is always spoilt for choice. One can either go with a taxi, a tricycle or motorcycle.
Lastly, rural settlements always lack the wonderful infrastructure that makes life worth a living. The schools at Araromi were not up to standard; the government hospital was a terrible sight to behold. When I visited, they had only one doctor on duty, an intern, and he was trying to deliver a woman with a baby using a kerosene lantern as the source of light. It was a pitiful scenario.
In short, for all the calmness and whatnot, I say, "Hell NO" to rural settlements. Shikena!
