Nation on Board by Lynn Schler

Author:Lynn Schler [Schler, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780821422175
Publisher: Ohio University Press
Published: 2016-01-17T16:00:00+00:00

5

Nigerianizing the Sea

Cultures of Work on NNSL Ships

ON 11 MAY 1959, Derek Bailey joined the crew for the maiden voyage of the Oduduwa, the second ship purchased by the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) following the Dan Fodio. Appointed as fourth engineer, Bailey sailed under the command of Capt. F. Sam Weller, a man he described as “one of the gents of this world.” Bailey’s first trip on the Oduduwa “turned out to be one of the most unusual and entertaining voyages” he had ever been on. The ship left Rotterdam en route to Lagos, stopping at West African ports along the way. From port to port, the crew was feted and celebrated by local crowds, all exhilarated at the sight of the first Nigerian-owned and -operated vessel to arrive at their port. As Bailey recalled, the festivities began in Freetown, where the ship’s captain was whisked ashore by local dignitaries. He returned several hours later, Bailey claimed, “a little the worst for wear and dressed in the regalia of an African Chief!” The celebrations continued at each port of call, increasing with intensity as the ship approached Lagos. Bailey recalled the surprise and disbelief of the crew: “It should be understood that we had no prior knowledge of these celebrations which became more and more elaborate as the hitherto unremarkable ex-tramp steamer (now a LINER) continued her triumphal progress down the coast, interrupted only by the occasional breakdown.”1

The reception the Oduduwa received across West Africa required extra work from the crew because at each stop, the ship had to be cleaned and readied, but as Bailey recalled, this was “well worth the effort, considering the parties laid on for us.” Alcohol ran freely at each port, and elaborate meals, called “small chop” by locals, were prepared by the chief steward. The ships were boarded by large crowds of those with official invites, as well as dockworkers, deckhands, and passersby who were happy to join the party: “Anyone who happened to be passing took up their imaginary invitations with alacrity, so the tables were soon cleared. ‘Like a swarm of locusts,’ as the Chief Steward gloomily observed.” The climax came in Lagos. There, representatives of the Yoruba Oduduwa Society arrived at the ship and carried all the officers away in a fleet of limousines. Not having any idea where they were headed, Bailey recalls, he was delighted to eventually find himself seated under the stars in a green pasture outside of Lagos, where each man was given a roasted chicken and a bottle of scotch. Immersed in the food and drink, he could not recall what all the speeches were about.2

Derek Bailey’s memorable voyage on the Oduduwa embodied the deep complexities that characterized the newly founded Nigerian National Shipping Line. His account exposes the profound disconnect between public anticipation of the NNSL and the actual materialization of the venture. The NNSL was born in the nationalist fervor taking hold over the Nigerian political and business elite in the final years

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.