In
1991 Abuja was made the new capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Since
then, various administrations have made efforts towards giving the capital
territory the outlook of a modern city. Populations always grow with
urbanization. In the case of Abuja, population growth has been curbed through
several decisions taken by government. Some of these decisions include: ban of
the use of motor cycle as a means of transportation, ban of private buses as a
means of transportations, demolition of illegal structures, and payment for
parking space in Abuja central area and so on. Most of these decisions of government have
always left the poor people in Abuja angry and miserable. In this report
however, we will take a look at the frustrations of Abuja inhabitants, more
especially the frustrations of people living in the outskirts of the central
area, who shuttle in and out of Abuja on daily basis to make ends meet.
When
asked the question “where do you live?” people always proudly respond “I live
in Abuja”, whether they live in the central area or at the suburbs of Abuja,
the response is the same: Abuja. To
someone who has never been to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria is
a beautiful place where business booms and “money flows”. The prestige
associated with residing in Abuja even makes people who live around Abuja, in
places such as Suleja, Madalla (Niger state), Mararaba, Karu, Masaka, (Nasarawa
state)to often claim to be Abuja residents as well. Taking into consideration
all the prestige and pride that go with Abuja as a city, it is worthwhile to
understand what it means to be an Abuja resident.
In
Abuja, there seem to be 2 categories of inhabitants. First, there are those who
have enough money to afford the high cost of accommodation either within the
central area of Abuja or its immediate environs; or better still, those who
have their own houses in such areas. People who belong to this category enjoy
water and electricity to a great extent.
The
second category is made up of people who live in the far away Area council (such
as Kwali and Abaji) that when going to the Central Area of Abuja, they
inadvertently say “I am going to Abuja”, forgetting that they are within the
Capital Territory already. In those places, basic amenities such as water and
electricity are almost nonexistent. In fact, in this category, people can’t
claim to enjoy life more than an average inhabitant of some state capitals in
Nigeria. Also, in this category, we can include those living in slums found
around central Area of Abuja. These people always live in fear of having their houses
demolished at any time, but they find joy only in their proximity to Abuja
Central area. Most people who engage in petty businesses such as, hawking of
cold water and soft drinks, news vendors, selling recharge cards and food
vendors, are part of those who can only afford to live in places that are
threatened by demolition. Every decision
made by the Federal Capital Territory Administration seems to be targeted at
them.
When
the government decided to ban the use of motor cycles and the green buses as
means of transportation in the Central Area, it is only this second category of
Abuja residents who shuttle in and out of the central area that suffer it most.
In
the face of all this hardship, it should be noted that only those who are
strong minded and resilient, those who can pay the price for daring to live and
earn a living in Abuja that can survive. From every indication, it appears that
this second category of Abuja residents is not wanted within the Central Area.
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