For The Love of Korope By Haleem Aigoro

BY AIGORO HALEEM

“Korope” is the name given to commercial buses used by transporters in Osun State. They are normally seen in every nook and cranny of Osun State, commonly painted in blue colour and have the capacity to occupy seven passengers. Though there is no documentation about the emergence of the name “Korope”. So, in a bid to unravel this mystery, I took to the streets with curiosity asking people at random, the young and the old, even the drivers in order to sample public knowledge about the name and how It came to be. To my surprise, it turned out that no one seemed to know about it’s origin, not even the elderly. Yet this mode of transportation has been a  source of living for many and is regarded as the easiest and cheapest mode of transportation. A good road network and the affordable fare has made it lucrative, thriving and sustainable business across Osun state and its environ. “Korope” is distinguished by its unique colour of blue with a yellow stripe on the side.

Osun State is known to be one of the peaceful state, “Ipinle Omoluabi”, and the reason is not farfetched. This peaceful and patriotic virtue is seen in every strata of the economy and the “Korope” drivers are not left out. Amidst the hike in PMS (petrol), there has been a considerable stability in transport fare, which is rare in some other cities in Nigeria. This can be attributed to the  low consumption of fuel by the vehicle itself and the patriotic nature of the “Korope” drivers.

As virtuous as they are, there is this saying that says ‘One bad egg spoils the bunch’. So as not to give the bad one the opportunity to go away with peoples belonging, easy identification should be put in place and there should be a central office or number to call to report any case of lost items or dispute. When belongings were misplaced or forgotten in public vehicles, It is almost unrecoverable because the buses are branded the same way, especially when the passenger cannot recollect the details of the vehicle’s plate number. But the reverse is the case when you board a “Korope” within Oshogbo metropolis. More often, unperishable items misplaced are recovered, though time is a key factor.

So many people might not be lucky to get their things back, personally, I have misplaced an item in a “Korope” before and it was recovered by a good “Korope” operator. Hence, the recovery of items is based on the honesty of the drivers. No doubt, some items can be repossessed miraculously, just like my case, but what happens when there is no miracle?

Some drivers having found a lost item don’t know what to do with it, likewise, passengers who lose their items in a “Korope” don’t know where to go looking for it. This remains a major issue for both passengers and “Korope” drivers within Osun State. This makes it necessary to have in place, modalities for the collection, recovery and retrieval of lost items to the genuine owners.

 


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