By McPatrick Michael Linus
Berger junction is one of Abuja’s most lively but notorious bus stops. Nevertheless, it has undergone tremendous transformation over the years, especially during the administration of Malam Nasir El-Rufai, one time Minister of FCT.
It could be recalled that many years back, Berger, as it is popularly called by the city’s residents, used to be filled with all sort of miscreants, streets-urchins and hawkers of different kind.
If you are a visitor to the city and happen to find yourself around Berger or any other dangerous spot like AYA, Area 1, the old Bakasi market, among others to either board a bus to any of the satellite towns or simply taking a stroll, you must be extra vigilant otherwise you would have yourself to blame.
An entrepreneurial expert, Mr. Bassey, narrated his ordeal to Blueprint in a nostalgic tone:“I would never forget in a hurry the day I was caught napping at Berger sometimes in the mid-90s when I newly relocated to Abuja from Uyo city. On that fateful day, I went shopping for okirika (used clothes) as the area was also known to be a semi-market though an illegal one where most of us shopped on our way to and from offices or other places of business.
With my wallet in my back pocket while trying to board an araba back home. Unknown to me an ‘Agbero’ had spotted the tip of it while I struggle about. He finally succeeded when he posed as a passenger trying to board the same bus with me. I must confess that even the most vigilant of passenger could fall prey”.
Mr. Bassey added that, “Needless to mention, those who paraded themselves as foreigners whose consignments are either seized by the customs or they just flew into the country with hard currency and needs someone who is familiar with the exchange rate
to help them out. These set of guys smartly select their prey, laying ambush and tracking them for minutes before launching their attack with such an enticing swagger.
They start a conversation to get your attention, asking of a strange address with all courtesy is one of their strategies”.
He went further to mimic their exact words in a mixed accent typical of a foreigner.
“Excuse me sir! Please I’ve been trying to find 2Pac Street all day, do you know where it’s located”?, he mimicked.
Bassey’s friend, Nelson, chipped in that, “Just when you think you’re helping a stranded fellow out by being nice. A single act of naivety would just land you in big trouble. Less I forget, they always come in pair or trio as the case may be with the other coming immediately after the first is gone to either enforced or debunk what the former had said, a smart way of getting your attention.”
For Ms Ibrahim, a marketer with one of the country’s new generation banks, who once failed victim of their dastardly act, “Most of their victims are mostly distracted by their weird accent that is mostly the mixture of English and French.
It’s very rare if they don’t start with either their goods is being held by customs and needs someone familiar with the terrain to help them out or they’re with some hard currencies but don’t know the exchange rate. To all sorts of stories that will definitely interest a greedy fellow who ‘fall mugu’ to their well craft-out scheme.”
Another lady in her mid-30s also shared her experienced thus: “Handbag-snatchers used to have filled day and fond of snatching ladies purses and heading into the nearby bushes leaving their victims wailing uncontrollably”.
Today, the junction bears a different story. A walk around it one could see a flyover, roundabout, flowers, streetlights and a garden. It is nearly difficult to believe it is the same Berger junction talked about.
It has undergone a drastic change except for the activities of some a few unsavoury characters who still have dupe people of their money, though not with such gust as before.
The serenity of the park is now breathtaking, especially during the raining season. The traffic has pretty much reduced except during rush hours. Another feature that distorts its serenity is the late evening market, but the officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) do install sanity sometimes.
At the junction, some drivers arbitrary stop at the middle of the road to load or off-loading their vehicles, thereby causing gridlock and make driving a nightmare to many road users. Despite designated bus stop around, some commuters and drivers prefer to always stop at the wrong spots. Hawkers and street traders who capitalise on the heavy traffic and absence of law enforcement agents to make brisk business by displaying their products as they walk.
With the ban of green buses, which was popularly called araba, residents thought things would improve for the better traffic wise, but taxi drivers have now taken advantage of the situation to park at any available space, drive against traffic and walk-ways.
Some of the law enforcement agencies also contribute to the already chaotic situation by refusing to efficiently carry out their duties as expected. They sometimes connived with these thugs to extort money from innocent cars owners.
Nonetheless, If we must enjoy a peaceful and traffic miscreants free Berger junction and Abuja as a whole, the various law enforcement agencies responsible for maintaining law and order must be up and doing by being committed to their duty and eschewing ‘eye service’.