By Emmanuel Ochum

They are afraid of following the road and being kidnapped.

A few days ago, I went to Rigasa in Kaduna around 1:00 pm to board the 2:30 afternoon train.

I was shocked at the crowd I saw there.

The number and qualities of cars bringing passengers was amazing.

I saw the rich and over fed elites, their wives and ajebo children in hundreds.

They are afraid of going to Abuja on the road.

I went and joined a long queue with the intention of buying a ticket.

Less than 30 minutes later, we were informed that the tickets have been exhausted.

We were told that they will still sell tickets without seat numbers.

When I asked what that meant, I was told it is for those willing to stand as the tickets with seat numbers have finished.

I opened my eyes wide in surprise!

Buy a ticket and stand for 2 hours?

No way!

I boldly told those around me I was going by road.

Some looked at me and said they will wait for the 6:00 pm train.

Others said they are willing to stand in the train from Kaduna to Abuja.

That is how perversive and endemic the fear of going to Abuja by road have become.

I looked at the faces of the rich around me and smelt real fear.

A fear they created.

Most of them made money by no hard work.

They looted government money and created a rift and gap between the rich and the poor.

They made sure the middle class system was completely eroded.

It is either you are stinkingly rich or you are hopelessly poor.

And they flaunted what they stole without shame and created enemies.

They denied the poor education, health, roads and other infrastructure that spelled good governance.

Today the poor have nothing to eat but the rich.

And the rich cringe in fear.

Well, I left them in their paranoid state and went to board a car to Abuja.

I can face the road.

I am not a rich man.

It is just that the kidnappers do not know the difference now.

God should save us.