By Awaal Gata
It may sound unbelievable, especially to those whose dream is to relocate to the Centre of Unity, Abuja, but recent survey done by Blueprint actually revealed that many residents really hate living in the city and wish to relocate. To them, it is a case of all that glitter is not gold.
Blueprint tried finding out the factors that shaped the recent attitude of the residents. Other inquiries were made regarding why they opted for the territory in the first instance.
A number of factors, it was discovered, contributed to the reason life in Abuja had become quite unbearable to many of its inhabitants. They range from increasing insecurity to exorbitant house rent and crisis-ridden transportation system.
Many said it is rather killing working so hard only to turn everything over to ‘shylock landlords’ at the end of the year.
Yusuf Kango is from Nasarawa state but lives in Abuja. He told Blueprint that his first trip to the FCT was as a young student in 1993 when he visited a relative who worked with the defunct Nigerian Airports Authority (NAA) now Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
He stated that then, commercial taxis and motorcycles were so few in town, and almost non-existent in some other areas. According to him, the situation was such that one needed the good heart of few individuals who owned cars to give one a ride across town. “And believe me, people were so gracious in assisting each other then,” he said.
Kango further went down memory lane and said, “I remember one day I left the airport to Asokoro and back without spending a single kobo because I got a free ride. That was the case of Abuja; it was so quiet and serene that people offered rides to strangers just for their company.”
That was not just the case. In his words, “Most workers, especially public servants had accommodation, and rent was on the low side for those who preferred commercial residences. Landlords were basically pleading with tenants to live in their houses so the houses do not wear out.”
To Kango, the story has now changed; the centre could not hold again.
He said, “Today, the Abuja I know is completely different from what it was about 20 years ago. I was posted here for my national youth service Corps programme in 2007 and what I saw was too many cars with traffic bottlenecks, exorbitant rents and poor relationship and neighbourliness.
The monies one makes go into transportation and accommodation with nothing to save, thereby making one a workaholic with nothing to show for.
“Workers have turned the suburbs into their haven as city centres are ininhabitable due to their high prices. Criminals have also seen the suburbs as places to ply their trade as only minimal security presence exists; one can take note of the bombings at Madalla and recently Nyanya.
“Jos, the Plateau State capital is somewhere I intend to go back to. Having lived and schooled there from primary to university education, I feel that is home to me, although I’m originally from Nasarawa State. The weather is temperate. Unless for recent disturbances, it used to be arguably the most peaceful state in the country, a point, which is buttressed in its motto- Home of Peace and Tourism.
“Due to the temperate weather, a lot of foreign crops like apples, grapes and strawberries thrive there. Poultry flourishes in Jos to the point that most of the birds and eggs supplied to Abuja come from Jos and therein lies my interest.
“I intend to leave Abuja sometime soon and start a poultry farm in Jos. The accommodation cost in Jos is not crazy as that of Abuja and the price of food stuffs is moderate, since most of them are homegrown and above all, the weather supports this.
“Abuja only has glamour and government officials who enjoy the largesse associated with public office, and care less about the plight of the less fortunate individuals. There is hardly any private indigenous industry here unless for multinational conglomerate and construction companies which ironically drive their local workers like slaves.
“When I find a way of getting my capital, I will not spend a minute in this city which constricts a person like a python. Many of my friends who ventured into other states are now doing better, and even own personal houses because no landlord is carting away their earnings. Then, may be, I will come back in a big way to Abuja,” he said.
Also, Moses Atimi, in his contribution, stated that Benin City in Edo State, not Abuja, is the place he would have loved to live all his life. He gave a description of Benin, as a serene environment where life is easy. He added that it is sad that there is little or nothing one can do in Benin City as government remains the biggest employer of labour there, with lots of graduates but little job openings to absorb them.
“I could not afford to join that bandwagon and wait for non-existent jobs. That was what informed my decision to come to Abuja,” he said.
Atimi went further to say that, “Life in Abuja is not easy, I must confess. But I will be an ingrate to say Abuja has not favoured me. I have done well in my chosen career. I have met folks I hitherto thought I could not meet. That is the beauty of staying in Abuja.
“There are, however, many things I do not like about the city. The cost of living here is high. Even though there are few available jobs, they do not pay well. You work so hard sometime and at the end, your landlord collects your money. That is one challenge an average Abuja resident contends with everyday.
“The cost of transportation too is high here, since the ban on mini buses and with the non-availability of high capacity buses, commuters find it hard to come to the metropolis.
“Though Abuja is the seat of power, there is this air of insecurity I always feel around here. I know there are crimes committed everywhere, but in Abuja, people tend to care less about the wellbeing of their next door neighbour.
“I have plans to relocate out of the city in the near future. Of course, I am going to test the political waters soon. That means I must relocate out of Abuja. I will return here, but I do not intend to make this place my permanent home. There is too much political crime committed here. God is angry with this city,” he said.
While speaking with Blueprint, Godswill Atanji said he will love to live in the “People’s paradise, “Canaan City,” which is Calabar, the capital Cross River State, other than abuja.
He said Calabar is characterised by low temperatures ranging from 25-28 degrees celsius and a lengthy rainfall spanning 10 months, and a short dry season covering the remaining two months. According to him, Calabar has very friendly and hospitable people.
“The city of Calabar is tourism-friendly and it is open to all people of different backgrounds, both Nigerians and non-Nigerians,” he said.
He maintained that what made him come to Abuja in the first place was his quest for education and good livelihood. He said he migrated to Abuja because the University of Abuja had a vast number of students applying to study in the institution due to availability of infrastructures, good lecturers and even love for the city.
“So both indigenes and non-indigenes had equal opportunities in getting admitted into the school, leading to high competition for limited space. That was basically why I came to live in Abuja,” he said.
He went further to say that, “Abuja is a beautiful city to live, grow and enjoy life. However, there are a few things that makes the city unbearable and difficult to operate. Almost everybody in Abuja will complain of the cost of living and accommodation.
“A little observation in my estate showed that half of the houses there are empty. This is as a result of high rent and difficulty in going in and out.
If you do not have a personal car and/or money to engage the services of a car hire popularly known as “drop”, you will be left with the option of trekking.
“Do I have plans to leave the territory soon? No, I do not have plans to leave anytime soon. I have made a good number of friends here that have become family to me; I know Abuja even far more than I know my village. To me, Abuja has become a home. It is a beautiful place to meet and interact with people from different tribes in Nigeria. Not forgetting that the mountains and rocks remind me of my mother’s village. I feel at home here,” he said with smiles.
Blessing Sanusi, while speaking with Blueprint, also voiced her frustrations with the city. She did not hesitate to state that, “What I hate about Abuja is the social injustice that pervades the city, as exemplified in the sharp class division between the few people that live in the urban/semi-urban areas and the majority of the poor that dwell in the suburbs that are fast slipping into slums.”
She said, “The gradual emergence of traffic gridlocks in some parts of the city and the recent security breaches are also a source of concern to me.
If I have a better opportunity elsewhere, especially in a city close to my country home, I would not mind to bid Abuja bye.
“I came to Abuja after my NYSC to search for job. Of course the recent bomb blast has redefined the way I move around the city and also made me to always watch my back,” she said.
In all of these, it is obvious those entrusted with management of the territory still have work to do. But will they respond positively and make Abuja an ideal city?