The Niger Delta

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Port Harcourt Vs Warri

I have been living in Port Harcourt (PH) for a very long time but recently, I moved to Warri. Before coming, I had heard the usual stories about Warri; violence, crime…..

However, on getting here, I realized that it doesn’t entirely seem that way. I am forced to compare both towns and this is my observation.

Port Harcourt:
- Good Road Network – in my observation, PH has good road network connecting streets and highways more than Warri.

- Companies and Jobs – because of past crises, most companies left their Warri offices for PH and as a result, PH has more companies and better job opportunities for graduates than Warri.R>-  Social Amenities – PH has much more social infrastructure such as health care facilities, radio and television station, schools, hotels, water system etc more than Warri.

- Groovy Joints – if you are a party going person, you will find PH much more interesting than Warri, there are more joints and night clubs in PH than in Warri town.

Warri:
On the other hand, I think Warri is better than PH in these ways:
- Wider Roads: both PH and Warri share the plight of bad raods and lack of drainage systems but in comparism, the roads in Warri are wider unlike in PH where most roads are so narrow leaving no room for pedestrian passage.

- Violence: – this might surprise you but Warri is quite less violent than PH. It is generally believed that in Warri, thieves will occasionally harass you and steal your handset but I tell you, you are 3-4 times more likely to experience that in PH than in Warri.

- Cost: – it is important to add here that cost of living is much cheaper in Warri than in PH and as such, it serves better for job seekers and those just starting life.

- Electricity: – I only have a pragmatic bases of comparing the electricity supply in these towns and in my experience, thought electricity lights in Warri is rationalized, there is a better chance of having light in a day than in PH.

Warri, like PH is diverse in tribes and tongue but the major tribe in Warri, the Urhobos, are far more hospitable than the major tribe in PH, the Ikweres. Non indegens who live in the Diobu area of PH will know what I mean.

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My Visit To Warri

You may have been wandering why I haven’t updated my blog for some time.
Well, I left town on official assignment to Warri and you know what, Warri is such a cool town somehow lively and really filled with interesting people.
The major tribe here – Urhobo – are very hospitable and they are really beautiful.

They are really trying to make a decent life out of an oil-induced violent riddled town.

There is this joke told about Warri;

Once, president Obasanjo was taking the American president, Bush, on an aerial
tour of Nigeria, somewhere along the line, the plane mechanism started
malfunctioning and the compass could no longer locate their present location,
worse still, the air conditioner in the plane stopped working.
In his
frustration, Bush took his arm outside the plane window to get a touch of fresh
air and by the time he brought them inside again, his wrist watch had been
stolen!On seeing this, Obasanjo said

“yes, now I know, we Are flying over".
Warri”.

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