THE SWEAT, HEAT, AND HOOTS OF IYANA IPAJA

Photo credit: Slumphotos

By Davy Fidel

(Writer/Freelance)

For people who have not been to Iyana Ipaja. And for people outside the shore of Nigeria, who only hears about the area or by chance come across the name, but have no concern to ask about the community. They will want to know what does the name Iyana Ipaja means? Does it has a root or it is just a myth?

These are the questions people will want answers to especially when the name sounds native. Of course, giving a place a name has a reason behind it. However, not every name define the life, sweat, and hoots of a particular place. Sometimes, it has a different outlook to it especially when it doesn't portray the social life there.

Iyana Ipaja is a yoruba native language and it means people along the road that have the strength to fight. The translation might sound alarming and scary. But sometimes, it is not every name that portrays the social life of a particular place as reiterated. People give places names because of some reasons as in the old. 

However, Iyana Ipaja is a community that assemble different colourations of life. It is a place where people on daily basis come to pick their daily bread. It is a commercial bus stop that has links to other destinations. The noise of people, commuters, food vendors, hawkers, okada riders, agbero and all kinds of social life is what makes up Iyana Ipaja. 

In the hour of 5 a.m, people are already out from their homes to pick the pieces of what to eat, what to drink, and how to solve other burdens waiting for them at home. They are out from their homes that odd hour to survive. Even when it is windy, people have no choice but to go out to survive. If not, they will be starved for the day. 

This is not only the episode to Iyana Ipaja. Those who jump out from their homes i.e the mothers, the fathers, and the young boys and girls, have to go out and fight for space along the road to display the items they sell. They do that because the space, sometimes, is for the highest bidder. And for those who don't settle well, it will be auctioned. 

Sometimes, it is in front of those who rented shop, that people who don't have a shop, will stay to hustle for their daily bread. Iyana Ipaja is a place of commotion. It is a theatre of stand well, if not, you will be pushed aside. The evenings of Iyana Ipaja is another episode. It is another life itself you won't want to ignore. 

These evenings bring out another real life of the place. Hundreds, if not thousands of young people will come out to shed their items. Those who sell tokunbo i.e okirika wears will come out. Those who sell food items will line up along the road and they will start shouting "oga, buy na. Nay small moni. Come na, mummy" etc. 

People from different parts of Nigeria will come out that evening, I mean those who don't have a shop to rent or those who have inside the main market. They will come out to pick what to eat and drink and also feed their homes. The children and ward of these mothers, fathers, uncles, and aunts are all picking their part. 

One worse scene about Iyana Ipaja is that the ticket boys collecting levies that are not accountable for. They will come and demand the petty traders pay for the space they are using to display their items. It is called owo Ile. If you don't compile, they will want to rain fire on the person. To avoid that, the traders will have to compile. 

There are plenty of scenes when you visit Iyana Ipaja, especially in the evening, you won't want to live without asking yourself as in other parts of the country. Is this Nigeria? The heat, the hoots, and the noise of people, commuters, and all kinds of life speaks what Nigerians are passing through to survive the next day in Nigeria. 

The Nigeria Police, the Lagos State Task Force are also main scenes playing out at Iyana Ipaja. The policemen and women with the LG task force always have their share of the theatre hustling. They also have to hustle for themselves and their families at home. They need to top their salaries and also make returns to their bosses at the office. 

These people in uniform are not immune from the heat, hoots, and noise of the area. They try to control the gigantic traffic, especially at night. Sometimes, they will be frustrated and leave the spot of controlling the traffic. On the other hand, they will have no choice but to return to their duty post or face punishment or queries from their superior. 

Iyana Ipaja also speaks of the gap between the have not and those who continue to have plenty i.e from the sweat of people who have to break themselves to feed. If not, they will be starved and died. It equally defeats the adage that says people are lazy and people don't want to work. Iyana Ipaja defeat all that especially correcting why the economy must be developed. 

Every day of Iyana Ipaja hustling speaks also of the failed economy and the underdevelopment of Nigeria. It exposes what people go through on daily basis to have life. It demonstrated socially, the psychology of surviving people are forced to adapt with i.e the tedious nature. This is what Nigeria has made Iyana Ipaja be --- people along the road that have the strength to fight for their daily bread.