Abuja: The Lost Hopes of The Gbagyi
The Gbagyi tribes resident in Abuja are regarded as one of the most peaceful tribes in present day Nigeria. Predominantly farmers by occupation they are astute merchants who can be found in most markets in the city, selling their farm produce and other wares. The younger ones are also very industrious in nature and do […]
The Gbagyi tribes resident in Abuja are regarded as one of the most peaceful tribes in present day Nigeria. Predominantly farmers by occupation they are astute merchants who can be found in most markets in the city, selling their farm produce and other wares. The younger ones are also very industrious in nature and do not frown at taking up any job no matter how menial as long as it falls within the ambits of the law. But for the common Gbagyi man on the street, the rapid development of the capital city coupled with the immense influx of people into the hitherto Gbagyi lands, seems to have robbed them of more than just a means of livelihood, their farmlands. Most alarmingly is the fact that modernization has not brought the much needed benefits promised by the government at the center to the indigenous Gbagyi man.
The Sa’Peyi of Garki village, HRM Dr Usman Nga Kupi laments the under development being experienced by his people, and says that the modernization of their traditional homestead has not given them the much needed relief they had expected when they had first been urged to give up their farmlands for the building of the capital city.
He says that though the Gbagyi do not regret that singular action, they have not received any commensurate compensations for their actions several years down the line. “It is a common trend anywhere in the world where people give up their lands for the greater good of the society. The indigenous tribes found they always suffer setbacks in terms of development. The people coming in are always superior in terms of education, social and political power. They are usually the elite in the society. So when this happens the effects become glaring.
The people they meet there will eventually be relegated to the background, and they would not be able to raise their heads. For the average Gbagyi man, the industrialization of the city has affected their economy as a whole. Educationally we are backward. Political power is not also in our hands. To be more precise in every aspect of our lives we have been greatly affected. What little benefits we may enjoy at times is at the local level, maybe at some area councils. At the higher levels such as the state and the federal levels, we don’t get any attention from the authorities. And we cannot achieve political power except we first acquire education and the means has so far been denied us. This has ultimately retarded our development as a tribe.”
He laments the gradual erosion of the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the Gbagyi in the face of rapid transformation of the FCT. “The people that are coming, don’t forget, are also coming with their own unique ways of living and culture. They come with their traditions, norms and values. There is no way the indigenous people would not be eventually influenced by these diverse values and cultures.
We try our best as traditional heads to encourage our people not to jettison their own culture, but it is not easy in the long run due to the constant interaction between the indigenous populace and those coming at different periods of time. So at times due to this interaction between the various tribes, gradually the indigenous Gbagyi culture is being eroded. Our culture has been greatly influenced by the imported religions such as Islam and Christianity as well as Western culture, so it is no longer as intact as it was before the influx of other peoples into the Gbagyi homestead. Now because of Western education, our own children, including the youths, cannot speak the local dialect, but instead prefer to communicate in foreign languages.”
He is particularly miffed that the only means of livelihood their forbears relied on in the past is gradually being taken away from them, with no attempt at providing alternatives for the thousands of Gbagyi indigenes resident in the capital city. “Our greatest asset which is our land is being taken away gradually from us.
We are farmers by nature, we do not have any other profession in which we are competent like farming. As the land is being taken away from us on a daily basis by the government for industrialization purposes , there are no alternative trades for the people to get involved in. it is like uprooting a plant from its taproots. It is like killing the source of occupation of a particular people. Apparantly, the people you have deprived of their sources of revenue become a problem or beggars in their own land, most especially the younger ones. There are very few cottage industries here in the city, which are incapable of employing a lot of people, so you eventually have a large population of youths with no means of livelihood, and that is a problem in itself.”
On the basic aspirations of the Gbagyi man the amiable traditional ruler says, “we have no other nation but Nigeria. We have no other place to go to but here in Abuja. My aspiration for my people has always been the educational empowerment of our children. What we simply want the government to do for us as a matter of urgency is to give free education as a means of rewarding our sacrifices towards the greater good of the Nigerian state. And this should be from the primary to tertiary levels. This is not too much to give a group of people that have sacrificed immensely for the good of the nation. What is obtainable in the Niger Delta region is equally applicable here in Gbagyi land. Afterall in the Niger Delta after the resources are tapped, their land still remains. But here our lands which are our only means of income are being taken over completely. In addition to this the government should put in place palliative programs aimed at economically empowering the indigenous tribes so that they would be able to survive alongside their families. It would be a slap on the government if we become beggars in our own lands…”
And the Gbagyi of Sabon Wuse also cry out
Located in Tafa, Niger state, this small enclave consisting of several communities, is home to thousands of Gbagyi, many of whom left their initial abodes in the capital city, in order to carve out a living for themselves through the farming occupation. As against the dearth of farming portions in Abuja due to the rapid urbanization of the city, Sabon Wuse provides for this set of people a greater opportunity to at least get a means of livelihood through farming.
The vast community which is divided into different clans for easier administration, boasts of a massive array of farm lands where the residents grow their crops for either consumption or commercial purposes. Although the Gbagyi here appear to be moving on with their lives they say are still expectant of more government attention in the areas of potable water, electrification and basic infrastructure that would be make their living easier. One of the ward heads, Sunday David who spoke with Sunday Trust says that they are not asking for too much from the government as it were, considering the fact that they deserve equal attention just like other major ethnic groups in the country are enjoying. He opines further: “we are not asking too for much. Here we only have electricity in some parts of the community.
Only those who have houses close to the transformer on the main road have supply of light. Those who live in the inner parts of the community live in darkness. We struggled before the transformer could be installed in the first place. But even after it commenced work it is still not serving the power needs of the community. Most of the time, we have to rely fithy streams in order to have some water for our daily needs.”
He also laments the lack of basic health facilities in the community which hosts about four different wards. “We do not have a functional hospital here. So we do not always have a place to go when we are ill or need medical attention. It was just of recent that we started the construction of a health center solely financed by the community. We only have a small room which serves as a medical center here, and we cannot even call that a hospital. We are having challenges with the construction of the hospital we are building through communal efforts, and we believe that with government assistance its completion could be hastened.”
Zephaniah Garba a youth leader in the community, and son of the erstwhile paramount community head, is equally unhappy that the Gbagyi youth seem to have suffered neglect in the scheme of things educationally, socially, politically and economically, and therefore calls on the relevant authorities to assist in empowering the hundreds of Gbagyi youth now roaming the streets without a source of livelihood. “I can only talk for the Gbagyi youth as I am one, and I am experiencing the same pains and challenges they are going through on a daily basis, in the hands of an unfeeling society. In Gboi Sarki, a prominent community here, we have many youths who are jobless. The painful thing is the fact that most of them are graduates, but they do not have any jobs to apply for. It is traumatic for us that after spending years in school we cannot find jobs to do after the completion of our studies.
Even when we apply at the area councils, they deny us these jobs. This is making some of us to believe that there may be a gang up in higher quarters to deny the Gbagyi youth advancement in Nigeria. Even the few of us that have been able to secure jobs are offered peanuts at the end of the day. You can imagine a graduate being offered N6000 as monthly wages! It is outrageous. The greatest desire of the Gbagyi youth here is that they provide us with adequate jobs, so that we are not tempted to take to vices that will eventually be detrimental to the interest of the society in general.
Another community leader, ward head of Sarki Madaki hammers on the need to take the welfare of the youths into consideration, if the government is eager to assist the Gbagyi. “Our youths are really suffering. We want the government to bring succour to them. Please provide them with jobs so that they would not engage in vices. It hurts us the leaders when we see that we are handicapped in the area of job opportunities. But we believe that the authorities can assist us and we therefore call on them to do so.”
The slow pace of development in Abuja districts
There appears to be a general consensus amongst the residents of the FCT that the rate of development of the various districts in the city appears to be unequal. While many see this as a deliberate act of omission by those in authority, a few others opine that it may be as a result of ineptitude or lack of administrative will on the part of FCT administrations. A visit to parts of the Abuja metropolis such as Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, Garki and parts of Wuse, would easily reveal lush surroundings, architectural masterpieces, good accessible roads, perfect drainage systems, stable power supply, sterling infrastructure and all the ingredients of any model city around the world. The case is quite opposite if not dismal in order parts of the same city. Another visit to places like Nyanya, Mabushi, Jikwoyi, Mpape, Gishiri, Durumi, Karmo, Kpeyegi, Kurudu to mention a few reveals a slower, if not languid, pace of development. This has unfortunately led many residents in these suburbs to believe that their welfare may not be a top priority for policy makers in the FCT.
A civil servant in her 50s Mrs Irantioluwa Ebun goes down memory lane as she describes the state of affairs about 14 years ago , when she alongside a group of other public servants were posted to the capital city from Lagos , as the first batch of workers to man the Abuja office of their establishment. “It was more like a virgin city then. The scenery was so beautiful, the roads amazing, it was like a mini London for most of us. We were so happy being posted down, that we individually thanked our stars that we had escaped the noisy and boisterous nature of Lagos. Night life in Abuja was a blissful affair.
Then there were the numerous corner shops that abound in the city then. The area 11 corner shops before their demolition were always lovely at nights, and equally lively, perhaps due to the fact that there were not many people living here in Abuja then. Commodities were actually cheap to purchase then.
Electricity was constant. Whenever there was to be a blackout, it would be aired on radio. Water was available. The outskirts were not as bloated as it is now, so living there was just a little bit different from living at the city core. Transport was cheap also. But what we have today is total chaos. Abuja seems to have lost the beauty it possessed in that golden era characterized by the initial influx of civil servants.”
A private estate developer, princess Nkiru Edet attempts to x – ray the transformation that seems to have taken place in the city. She says that just like any other major city around the globe, deviation from the initial masterplan could eventually have negative effects on the state of affairs of such a city. In a chat with Sunday Trust she notes inter alia that, ‘Abuja was never meant to accommodate the huge population it now hosts. It was meant to be the abode of a certain level of civil servants. No provision was made for other social classes of people.
Along the line with the brief military interregnum, a distortion of the Masterplan became inevitable. The deplorable state of some of the districts as it were, is a direct reflection of this distortion, and the attendant pressure on the limited infrastructure and social amenities is to be expected with the deviation from the plan.”
She adds also: ‘Abuja to every Nigerian is the place to be. Many graduates on completion of their studies do not hesitate to pack their bags and luggage to relocate to the city in search of greener pastures.
Living in Abuja is a dream come true for many. Even those who do not really have any business here struggle to get to Abuja on a daily basis. A company is not accepted as a company until it has an Abuja office. That is why most clients will always ask you if you have an Abuja office, before most of them do business with you. So naturally, you have this huge number of people flowing like water into the city periodically. But are the authorities really ready to make provision for this massive influx of people. Your guess is as good as mine!”
She also explains the rationale behind the slow pace of development in some districts in the light of the rapid growth of others. “It is a known fact that while some districts are believed to be the preserve of the affluent, others are for the not so prosperous. That is why you can see land being sold for N100 million at places like Maitama and Asokoro, when the same piece is being sold for less than N10 million at a place like Karshi. Abuja, indeed Nigeria, is a class structured society. The upper wealthier class has the upper hand in every aspect of living, so you naturally expect the region or district where they live to attract more development since money is no problem to them.
Even if the government does not provide their needs, this super class can afford to provide the luxuries they require to thrive. As I said earlier money is not an issue to them. Don’t forget even the public officers who implement the policies and the retired ones also live in such areas. So the rate of development would surely be expected to be rapid in such places. But the case in the suburbs is quite different and this scenario can easily be explained. Abuja was never meant to be a place of residence for those outside this privileged class. But since they have arrived, what do you do since you cannot send them back. They simply have to live somewhere.
That is why you have slums springing up in various parts of the city and the government cannot stop their growth. Even some middle class families are forced to live in these outskirt towns since they too cannot afford the unusually high living standards of these high brow areas. The pace of development would certainly not be expected to be as rapid as that of the more urban areas because very few FCT administrations pay any attention to the welfare of these places. In my own candid estimation it was only the el/Rufai administration that strived to at least better the lot of those living in the fringes of town.
He attempted to conform to the Masterplan while at the same time streamlining the inordinate growth of slums, by providing infrastructural growth for the recognized outskirt towns. But his intentions were misinterpreted and he was eventually demonized by critics. Every other administration has continued to pay lip service to the issue of basic amenities and infrastructural development, not only in the high brow areas, but also in the other districts such as Kuje, Gwagwalada, Bwari, Kwali and Abaji ,and, of course, the numerous suburban enclaves.”
Addressing shelter as a challenge
Perhaps one of the major challenges that face residents of Abuja today is the issue of accommodation. Due to the wide margins in developmental progress in the various districts, each district appears to attract only those who can pay its unique rates as regards house rents. Due to this certain districts appear off limits to certain classes of people, while other districts continue to attract numerous residents on a daily basis due to cheap and affordable rates. Ultimately acquiring and keeping accommodation seems to be the quest for most residents while only very few even dream of owning homes of their own.
However, director of the Mass Housing Department of the Federal Capital Development Agency, FCDA Engr U. G. Jibrin says that housing for all residents still remains a top priority of the incumbent FCT administration, and that indeed every resident scan aspire to own a house in the city. In a chat with Sunday Trust he asserts: “Abuja is a model city, so the vision for the city is that we have standard, functional housing within the territory, whether in the city or in the satellite towns. Abuja as you know is quite distinct from the territory. We have 250 sq km of the city and we 8000 sq km of the territory.
So we are doing the mass housing project both within the city and the territory. We are of course guided by the masterplan provisions for such areas. The mass housing scheme is at present aimed at partnering with the private sector establishments to provide affordable housing units for different cadres. We have specific guidelines approved by the Federal Executive Council that these partnering outfits abide by if they want land for developmental purposes.”
He adds that adequate provision is being made for the rapid influx of people into the city, and also the provision that the housing units are spread equally across board amongst the districts. “Even without the influx we are making contingency plans. We know that there is a housing deficit. The city is the fastest growing city in West Africa.
We know, of course, that there is a huge demand on housing being an integral sector of the nation. We are appreciative of the challenge that is why we are throwing wide open our doors to the private sector so that they can come and collaborate with us to provide these houses in a very standard manner.”
He says the mass housing projects are in the phases 2 and 3 of the city. “As of recent we have gotten the Urban and Regional Planning unit to approve land for us in the satellite towns. We have just gotten 5 of them, in Bwari, Kwali, Kuje, Gwagwalada and Abaji. We have identified portions of land that have been surveyed already, that are awaiting development so that the housing needs of the residents can be further lessened.”