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My last blog was to remind us that African leaders are not incapable of establishing both peace and good governance. And, I looked forward to enjoying my one-week’s stay in the amazing commercial capital of Benin.
I have since left Cotonou for Dakar and I am currently in Bamako, Mali. Like Cotonou, Dakar and Bamako have witnessed tremendous improvement in road infrastructure. That the people’s wealth status has improved could be seen by the new buildings that lined the four-lane highways. However, the manner the citizens have embraced the changes continues to sadden me.
. On my way out of Cotonou I was petrified to see a child of not more than four or five on a motor cycle clinging to dear life behind what I would imagine was his father. I had hoped that a policeman would stop the rider and rebuke him for putting the life of this child in danger! But, nobody seemed to care.
In Dakar, the motor cycle taxis were replaced by yellow-painted taxis and new dual-carriage highways crisscross the city. These taxi drivers stop right in the middle of the highway to pick up passengers or to purchase items from the many hawkers on the sidewalks.
In Mali, there are traffic lights at critical junctions but it would seem that no one actually takes notice. On my way from the airport to the city, we stopped at one of the traffic lights. The green light on our side came on but the drivers on the other side would not yield!
Now that we have some modern infrastructure which should promote economic growth and overall well-being, what would it take to teach us discipline?
