It
is with nostalgia that I recount my first trip to Abuja, our beautiful
Federal Capital city. I still remember how I could not sleep the night
before my journey with my dad.
My
dad, who was tired of moving the family from one state to another due
to transfers at his job, was on another transfer engagement from Kaduna
to Abuja. This time he decided not to move the family with him to Abuja
and this provided an opportunity for vacations during school holidays.
On
this particular, day sometime in 2001 after my secondary school
education, I left Kaduna for Abuja around 4pm with my dad and arrived
around 7pm. I remembered been struck by the array of streetlights that
lined the streets and highways of the beautiful city and the gigantic
mansions.
My
appreciation of how beautiful Abuja was started on the second day of my
time in the city when I decided to take a stroll from the Minister’s
Hill in Maitama to the National Assembly complex at the Three Arms Zone.
I was filled with awe at the major construction going on all over.
The
smooth, well paved, clearly marked roads adorned with flowers and
flyovers scattered all over made me wonder if I was still in Nigeria.
Abuja is a world class city, a city of bureaucrats with beautiful
scenery, serene environment, gardens, Five star hotels and relaxation
centres, but it lacks the hustle and bustle of Lagos, the economic
capital of Nigeria.
To
some, Abuja is one of the most expensive cities in Africa and I must
say that they are not far from the truth. No wonder so many beautiful
and completed but unoccupied estates dot the landscape of the city
because they are simply out of the means of the ordinary citizens.
Highbrow areas of Maitama and Asokoro are exclusively preserved for the
rich and mighty of the society.
Despite
the high costs of living, there are so many things I like about the
Federal Capital city. I like how planned it is with good roads, road
signs and flyover interchanges that makes movement around the city
easier and more enjoyable. So driving around the city during the
weekends is always a delight because of less human and vehicular
traffic.
The
beautiful gardens and entertainment centres like the Millennium Park,
Silverbird Entertainment centre, Ceddi Plaza, Jabi Lake environ, Eden
Park at Utako and neighbourhood parks scattered all over the city are
places one could go relax and have fun during weekends after a stressful
weekdays.
Those
that love clubbing are not left out in the scheme of things as there
are numerous night clubs like Cubana, Sofa Lounge, Aqua and Safari to
cater to their extravagance. There are also neighbourhood shopping
centres besides the major markets located around the neighbourhoods,
which makes shopping easier and closer to where people live. These
centres are the meeting points of each neighbourhood where people of
different cultures and class meet.
Equally,
the city of Abuja is not all about beauty, as not everything works
well. There are still some developmental challenges that do not befit
its status. The issue of proper waste disposal is still a common eyesore
as one move around the city. The city centre is a little better
compared to the satellite towns of Kubwa, Nyanya, Mararaba and others.
The
distortion of the Abuja master plan is still going on as people don’t
adhere to the plan thereby posing serious environmental problems.
Buildings are still been constructed on drainage and sewage lines, and
this leads to the flooding of the city at times. They also building on
areas designated as green areas, thereby altering the eco system of the
city.
There
is a sense of security around the capital city due to the presence of
security personnel looking smart in their uniforms patrolling every nook
and cranny of the city. But the indiscriminate blocking of roads by
security agencies around government buildings contradicts that sense of
security for the people and tourists who flock into the city of Abuja.
It
is disheartening to say that a city like Abuja still lacks a
comprehensive transport policy that incorporates other forms of
transportation within the city. It lacks modern rail transportation,
compared to other major capital cities of the world. A modern rail
across the city centre and connected to all the satellite towns will
reduce the road traffic we experience everyday all over the city.
But
thank God, something is been done about it with the proposed Abuja
light rail system so as to give inhabitants travel choices and lessen
the pressure on our roads. The issue of road side hawkers along major
roads in the capital city also robs Abuja of its status as a modern
city. The Nyanya-Mararaba road comes to mind as snacks to drinks and
household wares are hawked on the road. The administrators of the city
should empower these roadside hawkers so as to rid them from the roads
because they endanger themselves and other road users.
If
wishes were horses, I would wish that everybody that resides in the
city do their part in making Abuja what it should be. I would wish that
the master plan be maintained and adhered to. I would wish that housing
is made affordable and available so as to give everyone a sense of
belonging. I would wish that the development of the satellite towns is
taken seriously by providing the much needed infrastructural amenities. I
wish for an Abuja of our dreams, a well developed city. God Bless
Nigeria.
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