Abuja’s weekend people

For years now, people have become accustomed to knowing and seeing people that work in Abuja but have their families outside it, especially within the neighbouring states of Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi. Every Friday  the high number of workers going back to their families in those states keeps hitting astronomical figures every year. Their […]

For years now, people have become accustomed to knowing and seeing people that work in Abuja but have their families outside it, especially within the neighbouring states of Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi. Every Friday  the high number of workers going back to their families in those states keeps hitting astronomical figures every year. Their stories and challenges have been reported and documented on different occasions and platforms unlike their counterparts, those that have their families in Abuja but find themselves earning a living outside the capital city. While the first set troop out of Abuja every Friday, going through a series of hold ups and military check points to go home to their families, the second set find themselves doing exactly the reverse, by coming to Abuja to spend the weekend to see their families and unwind. The story of Abuja’s ‘Friday to Sunday’ people hasn’t really been explored, which made me to locate  some of the people involved to hear from them.
Alhaji Sani Murtala who works in neighbouring Niger State has been an Abuja ‘Friday to Sunday’ person for the past 13 years ,after being transferred from his place of work in 2002. He spoke of how he has grown fond of the capital city over the years, and why he doesn’t envisage calling another city home in the nearest future.
“I’m so used to coming to the capital city every Friday, and can’t even remember the last time I was around during the working week. For me, Abuja is all about relaxation and coming home to see my family from Minna. Most a times when people mention the city it’s work related, but for me it is my weekend abode,” Murtala said laughing.
He also pointed out that people who don’t spend their weekends in the Federal capital don’t appreciate the beauty and serenity it offers, with its many green parks one and his family can take advantage of for quality time.
Mr. Abdullahi Sanusi, who works with one of the security agencies in Kaduna State after working for 15 years in Abuja, also still has his family in Garki, and said for him the choice is all about security and rest of mind. “There were times I contemplated moving them to stay with me in Kaduna permanently, because I don’t like travelling every Friday. I find it stressful but those thoughts quickly vanished after the advent of the present security challenges in 2010. This is because no matter what, Abuja still remains the safest city in the country ,and considering my kind of work I take security issues seriously. That is why I decided to maintain them in the city,” he said.
Sanusi, also brought up the issue of the serenity which he said millions who troop out to other places every Friday, don’t get to see during the weekend. He added that more can still be done to make the city more family friendly for people like him, that call the country’s capital home.

Mallam Shehu Idris, like Sanusi, also works with a security agency, and says his reason for keeping his family in Abuja, even though he has been earning a living in Kano State for 6 years now, is different from that of Sanusi, adding that for him it’s all about proximity.
“In my kind of work, we expect transfers to come at any time. In fact as I speak to you now, instructions can come in asking me to report at  Port Harcourt tomorrow or Lagos. So you see I have to try and find the best possible place for my family, where I can easily reach them with little ease. For example, if I move them to Kano and I’m being transferred to Lagos, you can see the distance. So, the advantage Abuja has is that it’s in the centre.So whatever part of the country you work, you can easily find your way home without much stress,” he concluded.
Danladi Salihu, was a teacher for ten years with a top private school in the city centre, before opting to join another top school in Kaduna. He says he owns the family house in Kubwa, and doesn’t want to be paying a mega rent for his 9 member family in a nearby city, while he has already been blessed with a house of his own.
“If there’s one thing I hate ,it is paying rent unnecessarily, which is why I chose to keep them here since Kaduna is not far away.In fact assuming we have some of the best rail systems in the world, the Kaduna- Abuja journey will not be more than 20-30 minutes long. I haven’t really had time to explore the city when I’m around during the weekends, to gauge its beauty and what have you. I use the two days to spend time with my wife and children, and zoom off to Kaduna on Sunday,” he opined.
The last respondent, Mr. Sani Danjuma, was more concerned about the military and police check points every time he plans to visit Abuja from his Lafia, Nasarawa base.He said unlike other locations to the capital, where people get easy access to the city during the weekend due to the traffic reduction, Abuja’s closeness and massive interaction with Nasarawa State, means there’s constant inflow and outflow between the two places.
“For example, if you are coming to Abuja from Kaduna on Friday, or Saturday there’s easy access because most have travelled out. But for Nasarawa it is constant traffic due to the high level of dependence between the two. So, even on Friday and Saturday many will still be going in, while some are coming out,” he concluded.