Nigerian actor, Ime Bishop Umoh, popularly known as Okon Lagos, shares fond memories of his trip to Germany with JOY MARCUS
Where did you have your most memorable trip?
That would be Germany.
I travelled with a group for the Nollywood Europe Golden Awards and I stayed in a hotel for about two weeks. I really enjoyed myself.Why did you travel to Germany?
What fascinated you about the country?
The language barrier! It was so funny because there were times that my translator wasn’t around me and I had to call my friend, who understands German, to help us communicate. I was also fascinated by the way Germans are proud of their products, especially their cars.
While you were in Germany, what did you eat?
I ate a lot of junks and I often ate rice because it is something I am familiar with. I have a lot of Nigerian friends staying in Germany who also gave me home treats; they made sure I was okay. They gave me so much Nigerian food and even brought some to my hotel room. Trust me, I ate a lot so I had a great time. I also had plenty invitations to come for visits.
Can you recall any notable place you visited in Germany?
I went for a car exhibition where I saw car technologies that will function in the future. I also saw cars that run on water. I saw an electric car for the first time in Germany. I saw cars that park by themselves; cars that are powered by solar energy and lots of incredible machines. I went to the Nigerian consulate and I did a lot of shopping in their malls. I also went to a place where I got some furniture. That place is incredible because you choose the furniture you want and you would get them the same day. You can even wait there for about four hours for them to finish the furniture.
I don’t like comparing Europe and Africa because these is no real basis for comparing the two continents. When you decide to compare, you will always be reminded that Nigeria is still underdeveloped and Europe is developed with functional economy. They have a system that works well for them. Though not perfect, it is very satisfactory. Their transport system is better than ours by far but Nigeria is a country that has a destination and we are still moving, even if it’s at a slow pace.How would you rate their transport system compared with ours?
What did you see in Germany that you will love to be replicated in Nigeria?
Everything! Our leaders actually travel to many parts of the world and they ought to see how things are done in the advanced countries. They should get inspired by the development of other economies, come back and replicate those things in our country; but it very unfortunate that our leaders don’t do this. Look at the security system in the country. With all the security agencies we have, over 200 Chibok school girls were abducted and till this day, not all the girls have been brought back home. In 2018, another set of girls were abducted in Dapchi with almost the same tactics that were used in Chibok. It is a national embarrassment. These are things that shouldn’t be happening because this is a very great country with the largest population of black people. Nigeria is the pride of Africa. Something urgent has to be done concerning our security situation. Herdsmen have been killing people indiscriminately and some people are saying the killers are not Nigerians. How did they get into Nigeria? What are the immigrations and customs doing? Not one single arrest or prosecution of a single herdsman has been achieved. Nigeria should not be made to look like a dumping ground for crime where anybody can do anything and get away with it because they believe nothing will happen. A lot of crimes are committed in Europe but if you are a criminal there, you are merely buying time because you would eventually be caught. If this can also be the case in Nigeria, it will be good. If people know that they will be caught and prosecuted for committing crime, crime rate will reduce. That is the Nigeria of my dream. How can someone open his or her mouth and boldly say that animals stole money? Even as a small boy, I was very creative in telling lies to my parents. Things like these shouldn’t be national issues that other countries should be hearing. It makes the country look like a theatre of the absurd. Nigerians are very responsible and reasonable people, but it is quite unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this mess.
What other country would you like to travel to?
I am really not a travel person, I usually only travel for business purposes. I prefer to leave the leisure of travelling to my wife and children.
What is the best travel advice you can give?
Be very careful and watchful when travelling out of the country because there are a lot of people who are desperate. Keep your bag beside you. Don’t give someone else to hold it for you or drag it behind you and don’t accept to carry things for people without checking it first or declaring it at the customs so that you don’t run into any unpleasant circumstances.
