Growing up in Port Harcourt, our own PITAKWA was like the Garden of Eden.

Peace was everywhere.

You can trek from Eleme Junction to Marine Base, and nobody will trouble you, and you will not hear “Who goes you!” from anywhere, even though “touch and follow” stories were everywhere back then; we still help strangers anyhow anyhow.

Do we have such trust again these days?

Economic trees scatter all over the streets like mangoes, oranges, plums, guavas, sugarcane and as you dey trek, you see fruit, you pluck am chop!

But if the owner show up, na so you go begin run! We no dey steal am o, na PH tradition!

And if trekking dey kill person, I for don die since!

What about Aba Road hold-up?

Chaiiii… Iyanabo ehhh…

Those days traffic no be small thing ooo.

Person fit dey there so tey person go buy stove, buy pot and beans inside cook beans way no dey don quick for that express, chop am finish, before motor go even move small!

Sometimes we chop our transport fare TAMU any pick-up or any motor wey get small back-space, reach where we dey go.

Life been simple, sweet, and memorable shaa…

Today, na fence and “Who goes you” full everywhere. The trees don disappear, and nobody fit trek that far again make dem no fear for their life.

I miss that PITAKWA.

The one wey get peace for street, way fine like Garden of Eden.

PITAKWA don change o, but make we remember how e be before shaa.!