Nightlife At Lagos Joints

Nightlife At Lagos Joints

Bars in the open are redefining Lagos nightlife
By Isioma Madike, Correspondent, Lagos
May 19th, 2007

“Let the beer see the sky,” says a popular beer advertisement. In Lagos nowadays, the beer is not the only thing seeing the sky. Its consumers, too, are eager and willing to see the sky. They have relocated from the regular beer parlours to the outside. In many parts of Lagos, at night, bars in the open now adorn the skylines. Drinking joints are not entirely new in Lagos metropolis but they are being redefined and gaining more prominence. This points to a new way forward in business activities in the city and offers the city’s residents a break to kill the day’s boredom. Major street corners and roads become a beehive of activities every evening, especially on weekends in the ambiance of the cool night. On the vast anterior spaces, the corporately dressed men and women display the latest state-of-the-art cars beside the joints. Commuters traversing those streets have tough tome passing through such points. At night fall, these areas metamorphose into something else. Open air drinking, suya spots, food vendors and commercial sex workers, all compete for space at the joints. There are no marble floors, well decorated settees or cushioned chairs. Those who patronize the joints are sure to listen to tunes from quadraphonic sound systems while they consume liquor. At LASCOFIS, along WEMPCO Road, a first time visitor may have difficulty figuring out the enjoyment that goes on there. Coming from the Ogba end of the road, “Parish”, as the joint is fondly called, is on one’s right. The not-too-smooth street stretches out in an apian bowl-shaped manner that barely suggests anything unusual in the neighbourhood. But a stroll into the half-fenced land with buildings spread in vehicular formation will expose a modern relaxation arena that offers various kinds of entertainment to its guests. The assemblage is typically not the usual party crowd of flimsy professional chasers. It is a blend of journalists, technocrats, top civil and public servants, businessmen and women, and the young upwardly mobile, the type described with the street lingo “aje butter”. Hence, incidents of lost cell phones and body adornments are not often heard in that joint. Yemi Ogungbe is the managing director of “Parish.” The joint which opens 24 hours every day with its peak periods at 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to Ogungbe, was converted to a drinking bar three years ago when the finance house that was originally there collapsed. He says pomo (cow skin), smoked cat fish, Ofada rice, and of course, the ever cool beer are the main attraction of the joint. The other delicacies are asu barbeque (a type of goat meat suya), Nkwobi and fish pepper soup that are prepared in a special way. “We also have quite a sizable number of bankers and other professionals apart from our big time journalist customers who apart from drinking engage in very serious business discussions. They are mostly people who try to escape the terrible hold-up. We have respectable members of Island Club here as well. Some use our joint to intermingle with old friends too,” Ogungbe said. But a good number of the “parishioners”, as LASCOFIS guests love to call themselves, see the “Slaughter House” as the centre of attraction because of the absolute privacy the joint offers. Slaughter house is the members’ slang for short time lodging with the opposite sex in a replay of the Adam and Eve game in the days of yore. Ogungbe also hinted that to satisfy their numerous customers the management of “Parish” has concluded arrangement to introduce new items into its menu. “We also want to introduce something new now like ‘Eko and Efor’ (pap and vegetable) to further spice up the place. Elis is another joint located on the Ikoyi axis, very close to Yoruba Tennis Club. It opens about 6.30 p.m. every day and sometimes runs through the night till early the next morning. This joint caters for the big boys of Lagos Island. Working into the venue, the first thing that arrests your attention is the stand, the dim lights, and the spiraling metals. From whatever part of the ground you find yourself, the encircled and wooly music envelops guests like a warm welcome hug. Live bands perform every Friday night. The girls flock the place like bees to nectar and the guys make a meat out of them. “Abattoir”, the equivalent of the “Parish’s” slaughter house, is the craze here. Adesina Odukola, popularly called Ojo Boy, says the girls as well as big sugar mummies make their days worthwhile in Elis. “We slaughter them at the abattoir and they are the reason we are spending our hard earned ‘dole’ every evening. Although, other enjoyment dey this joint o,” Odukola says comically in pigeon English. But at the RockAZ at Isheri Road, by Akiode Bus Stop, the booming night-out place initially was a one outlet fast food joint. At that time, snacks, oven fresh chicken, fish and fries as well as jollof rice including, ice-cream, were the main delicacies. According to Toni Ifeiyinwa, supervisor in charge of food, “the feedback from our yuppie customers informed our change of style. They like it the other way round,” he said. Ifeiyinwa maintained that they neither have “abattoir” nor “slaughter house” but simply “take away.” “The girls come around but no room for “jingolo” though the boys take them for slaughter somewhere else. Without them you cannot run this type of joint in Lagos,” Ifeiyinwa revealed. The Oluwole-tarmac at Ogba paints a different picture. It is a special kind of joint. For the first timer, it is likely going to be a tasteless impression about this quarter and its occupants. It is also possible for a few to conclude that this neighborhood is just about hustlers and fun seekers. Barrack-like, with obvious grimy environs that could scare the faint-hearted, the smoke frightens while its surrounding exhibits a calm serenity. Even at that, moving around the area offers the sight of comfort especially at night. The tarmac is unique and quite popular among its guests. Oluwole tarmac exhibits an extremely tired appearance but swims in the mannerism of a well-managed neighbourhood. It has a commercial flair, and can well be described as one of the last relics of age. Yell in the middle of the night, out of fear or excitement and you will be sure to get a response. It is all part of the fun. This is the harmonious declaration of the natives as the tarmac gestures around the willing. Enjoyment in this estate is 24 hours a day and seven days a week. For the ladies, the ever festive moments at the tarmac present a convenient shovel that digs them up from the monotony of brothel life. One could read the shock and surprise on their faces as the callers show familiarity with some of their antics. This trend of acquaintance with crimson sisters, no doubt, leaves a big impression on the minds of the visiting wolves. Chris Idemudia is a frequent crawler at the tarmac. He says, “tarmac is the place to be any day. Just go there with your friends and have the fun of your life. It is a place that accommodates all kinds of people who come not for the fun alone but also to discus business. If you are the fast type those big boys can connect you. You don’t have to know anybody, just walk into the tarmac and you won’t have any problem,” Idemudia said. The main attraction according to him is the air of freedom. He says everything is done in the open with cool breeze that sooths nerves. “So all manner of people find the place convenient to relax; the main thing really is the cat fish pepper soup. They will show you the live fish to select from and in 10 minutes the soup is ready. The aroma alone is something that many would find difficult to resist.” He also hinted that fine ladies come from places like Allen, Ojodu, Ikeja and the other joints to do business because “they know it’s happening here and the big boys use them to relax.” Idemudia says those who fancy them and want to have fun with them usually call them aside and negotiate the price for either “short time” which is a quick stand at a nearby block or behind cars. “When the night is well spent, they lure you into taking them for whole sale,” another guest who identified himself as Ojo said. Mama Akin, Old School, and White House are some of the popular bars that operate at the tarmac. The beer manufacturing companies seem to be at war at Oluwole-tarmac as they compete for patronage. But the most popular, according to these sellers, are the Guinness and Gulder brands. Mama Akin who said tarmac is always very peaceful also disclosed that the sellers have an association that arranges for prominent Yoruba musicians who come to play from time to time. “Even Pasuma wonder once played here,” she said. To the occupants of the estate, this particular invasion of their domain is welcome and satisfying. The human and vehicular traffic in their vicinity does not betray the mammoth crowd that gathers here on a daily basis. Funmi Davis talks about Kendi joint at Agege with a great deal of excitement. She says the guys that throng the joint are people who most times want to burn away their tension and stress. “So they find in Kendi a jolly friend and relax in the open air environment,” Davis said. She says people that patronise this joint are mostly the working class. Adding, “You know Agege area and hold-up. So people try to avoid being caught up in such hold-up by stopping by to sip a bottle or two and kill some time. By the time they finish the roads would have cleared.” Obalende Jolly Joint, Ikoyi Bliss, Radio joint, opposite Airport Hotel, along Awolowo Way in Ikeja, Bola joint, along College Road at Agege, and Delicious joint at Agidingbi Road, Ikeja, Feminar CafÈ, Alausa and Mulikat, Ojodu are the other popular joints around the city metropolis. These joints attract bankers, oil workers, journalists and others. There exists in most of them car wash services where the customers wash their cars while they sip away. Other attractions include big flat screen television sets where premiership matches and pornographic films are served. The pornographic films are deliberately played to arouse lustful feelings and interest in the girls that flock around. There are also the big “mamas”. They come in flashy cars and try some old tricks to entice the young men. They are wealthy and most likely unmarried. As you traverse these joints, what seems to be prevalent is nothing but love songs, which fill the air. It is not different either at Feminar CafÈ. Lovers either locked together romantically in between parked vehicles or seated with each other only waiting for passionate moments. But Fola Worrey seems not to be one of those seeking pleasure in these relaxation spots. She attributes her presence in the area to heavy traffic which adds to the already tensed situation in the office environment. “I am here just to relax pending the time traffic will be less so that it will be easy when I am going home,” she told Saturday Enquirer at Feminar CafÈ. According to her, Lagos traffic is terrible. She adds, however, that there are some who visit as a way of keeping away from trouble at home. She pointed out that some women whine so much that they make the home un-conducive for their husbands and in the process send them to liquor spots. Their husbands, she pointed out, branch out into the spots so that by the time they arrive home, their wives would already be asleep and they leave the home before she gets up from bed. Here, and as you find at Mulikat Legend Hot Spot and some others, the environment is well secured which gives customers an air of confidence. But same cannot be said of areas around Marwa Gardens (MKO Gardens) which is poorly lit and very close to the Lagos /Ibadan Expressway. Segun Oni, a regular patron of the Marwa Garden spot, sees the spots as nothing but places to unwind. Besides, he believes that the joints offer avenues for meeting old folks, making new friends, and sometimes consummating friendship and business contacts. “So it is a place for networking to unwind after a hectic day at work. There are some people you cannot meet in their office but you meet them right here so it is a meeting point too,” he said. For Tunde Ahmadu, the joints serve just one purpose, a bridge between the office and the home. “Before you get to your house, you want to calm down, unwind and unnerve, go home, eat your super and go to sleep,” he said, adding that the cost of the food is not an important consideration since the ultimate intention is to unwind. Paul Eke sees such places as avenue for having super. “I am not married. Besides, I don’t have time to cook so I just have to eat before I go home and get a companion to keep me warm all through the night and it is part of life, my brother. Life is short, enjoy it while you are alive,” he told Saturday Enquirer. The level of activity that go on in these joints tell the story of the booming night-out drinking parties in Lagos metropolis. It has, indeed, gained wide patronage. The owners of these joints say there could be occasional squabbles among the guys but such has never degenerated to something unusual. They also reveal that the police do not come there to harass anybody except to have fun as well, insisting that their domains are usually very peaceful in spite of the human surge on a daily basis. But what about security in and around these joints? Ogungbe admits that “Parish” was robbed about two months ago but said the incident provoked the tightening of security within the premises. He says they have a total of six Oduduwa Peoples Congress (OPC) members who work in conjunction with the Neighbourhood Watch that patrols the vicinity to keep away any unwanted guests. The tarmac and most other joints sing the same chorus. Their customers’ experiences of robbery incidents differ. “It happened when the customers have all gone. The robbers collected all the sales of that day, about N250, 000 and telephone handsets from the three customers who were still waiting for their partners,” Ogungbe said. The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Bode Ojajuni, said security measures like the one in “Parish” are quite necessary since owners of these joints have a primary responsibility to provide security for their guests. “Those operating these places must be security conscious. They must develop a good rapport with members of the Police Force in those places. This does not mean that they should be giving returns because a lot of people are alleging that policemen are coming to collect returns. No, it is our duty to protect you and it is your duty also to let the police know where you are operating”, Ojajuni told Saturday Enquirer. But the security concerns do not seem to deter patrons of the joints. Dr. Williams Olumuyiwa, a civil engineer and Femi David, fashion designer savour their experiences with Saturday Enquirer in separate chats. “Parish remains my number one,” Olumuyiwa begins. He was seen working on his laptop at about 4.30 p.m. on Tuesday in one of Parish’s halls. “I reside in Lagos with a business interest in the oil city. I have introduced some other friends because I found the place convenient because of the location,” Olumuyiwa says. He feels the place is hidden and this gives room for some kind of privacy and the workers here relate very well with their customers and that is really enticing too. For David, knowing the place is one of the best things that have happened to him in recent time. “I knew this place through a friend and when I came to this place the things I saw were quiet different from what obtains in most other places that was how I got hooked,” he says. The attraction, according to David, is the smoked fish which goes for N400 and N600, depending on the quantity, and Ofada rice that sells for N200. “You can hardly get this anywhere else. Their beer is always very cool. In terms of security, I would recommend that they find a way of creating another entrance because to me, one entrance is not good enough for a place like this. I have made some customers from here. There is a particular customer that I got from here and when she visited me she was quiet pleased and had to dash me some industrial machine that is valued at N150, 000. She was no longer using it. That I will forever cherish,” the fashion designer said. To Titilola Johnson, Ofada rice is the main thing that drags her to Obalende Jolly Joint. “African correct food and drinks are served; if you taste the pammy (a local appellation for palm wine) and the aroma of the local stew, you will get the magic.” She says that people from America and London when they are in town visit this place to have what they feel they have been missing all the while. “Miss Odotola in London, for instance, can’t do without this place anytime she is in town. Even the big boys at Alausa do come here to feel fine too,” Johnson said. Toyin Olatunji says the car wash and interesting gists that help her unwind remains the attraction. Olatunde, one of the first customers of parish narrates, “The very first time I bought drinks as a customer I came with another friend called Kunle Adebayo. We are from the same regal club. At that time, the whole place was bushy. Olatunde, who is an estate manager and property consultant, added that he has the history of parish at his finger tips. “When I started coming here they were selling less than one carton a day. Before then, they were using the place for a finance house. I was the one fumigating the place for them. I am proud to be referred to as Mr. First and I was part of the plan that changed this place to what it is today. Since then, I have introduced many of my friends to this place. I introduced also most of the other things they added to make the place worthwhile, like the fish pepper soup, Asu, Ofada rice and the rest. I got a private stand for my club members and they have even added a DSTV for our maximum enjoyment. “A lot of innovations have taken place since then and the place is looking beautiful as you can see. It is attracting more corporate guys from far and near. I have also been giving a place for car wash so that the customer’s cars can be taken care of while they are sipping their beer and enjoying some of the other delicacies on display. Respected big bank boys from Spring Bank, Wema Bank, Zenith Bank and even GT Bank frequent this place. Some of them confessed they are attracted to this place because of the security system,” Olatunde said. Additional reports by Emmanuel Ukudolo