By Lawal Ibraheem Olaniyi
The journey to the Jalsa Salana can be quite an enjoyable experience, one marked by curious anticipation and the spiritual atmosphere that envelops the event. However, the path to Jalsa can also be riddled with challenges, requiring great determination and resilience. Such qualities were displayed by the Niger Jamaat members who arrived at the Jalsa on Monday evening.
Our team had the privilege of speaking with one of the Niger Jamaat members, who shared the details of their arduous journey.
The advanced team of the Niger Jamaat set out at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, filled with high spirits and enthusiasm. However, just an hour into their journey, their bus developed a faulty spark plug. The issue was almost immediately resolved, and they resumed their journey. But about thirty minutes later, the spark plug began flying off the cylinder head, causing another breakdown. During this time, they encountered another car stranded since 2:00 a.m. due to a faulty tyre. The stranded traveler needed a jack, while the Jamaat team required a spanner to fix their spark plug. Seeing it as an opportunity for mutual assistance, considered it a fair deal and, they exchanged tools, fixed their respective vehicles, and continued their journeys.
After a few hours on the road, they encountered a severe traffic jam along the Bidda-Mokwa road, just before Ìlọrin. Thinking their troubles were over, they pressed on, only to experience a tyre burst near Ogbomosho on the highway. The team quickly repaired the tyre but faced another burst along Ladoke Akintola road, just before entering the Oyo border. By 6:00 p.m., as darkness set in, they replaced the faulty tyre with a spare and reached Ibadan at 11:00 p.m. Unable to continue their journey, they spent the night at the Apata mosque.
The next morning, they resumed their journey early, hitting the road at around 6:30 a.m. After three hours of travel, the spare tyre burst again on Papa road. Fortunately, they found a nearby vulcanizer who recommended purchasing a new tyre. However, the “new” tyre they bought turned out to be used, adding to their frustration. Exhausted, they sought another solution and eventually borrowed a tyre from a kind stranger to reach the Jalsa Gah.
As they approached Ilaro garage, the borrowed tyre also burst. In a final effort, their State Qaid rushed to the Jalsa Gah to procure another tyre, which finally brought them safely to Jamia.
Despite the numerous hurdles, the Niger Jamaat members exhibited remarkable resilience and determination, making their eventual arrival at the Jalsa all the more rewarding.
