This Trekking Trend: Free Madness!

Image Source: Twitter

I was hanging out with a friend yesterday, we were supposed to be having fun and catching up. However, we were both glued to our phones (this social media thing though - always getting in the way of healthy bonding! Anyway, that's a discussion for some other time). Suddenly, my friend let out a long, loud hiss and exclaimed indignantly. .. 'free madness!'.

I looked up sharply, 'Ore, which one be free madness o? wetin happen?'. The irritation was dripping from her voice as she told me about Mrs Alice Daniel, the latest GEJ trekker, trekking across the country with her 40 day old baby! I had to agree, e be like say this trekking matter don enter another level!

This trekking trend started with Suleiman Hashimu who promised to trek from Lagos to Abuja should Buhari win the elections (why he made this promise of all promises to make still beats me though). Suleiman probably had no idea that he would be starting Nigeria's newest fad by doing his Buhari trek. 

Since then, we have been entertained by several trekkers : Babangida Mabudi (for Buhari from Niger to Abuja), Muhammadu Jafaru (for Yemi Osinbajo, from Kaduna to Lagos), Adamu Abdullahi (for Buhari, from Bornu to Abuja), Paul Tankwa (for Jonathan, Taraba to Bayelsa), Oladele Nihi (for Jonathan, from Abuja to Otueke, Oladele even seems to have found a girlfriend along the way, lol), and the list goes on and on.

While it is understandable that these people may be suffering from poverty and joblessness and may be seeking money and fame (albeit in the weirdest way imaginable), it beats the imagination what Madam Alice Daniel is thinking carrying her poor baby on such a trip. A 40 day old baby for crying out loud!

If someone had to trek from the Daniel family, I would expect that the husband would insist on trekking on behalf of his wife at least, rather than allow a nursing mother and your new baby walk all the way from Minna to Abuja in the name of trekking for some politicians.

Let's think of it, how many people walked long distances in protest of the Boko Haram attacks in the North? How many walked in protest of our kidnapped Chibok girls? How many walked to even protest fuel scarcity? So what is with this trekking for Buhari and trekking for Jonathan?!

My heart's cry about this trekking thing is "let this free madness stop already, please!"