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The Many Woes of Satellite Towns in Nigeria By Abubakar Magaji Buba
As I pick-up my pen to write this piece, the incident came back to me crystal clear as if it just happened some moments ago. The dreadful picture of that incident will forever linger in my memory, not because of its unusualness, but because it is something that makes one ponder on the future of our great nation, Nigeria. A nation that we pledged unflinching loyalty, dedication and selfless service to at al times, while dispensing our civic responsibility as Nigerians. Nigeria, our fatherland, the source of our pride as Africa’s largest country. Why did we allow our nation to get to a near comatose state of apocalypse?
It was around 2.00am in a cold Friday night when almost every soul in fast asleep. After a normal hectic day which characterized the life pattern of a struggling corp member answering the clarion call of service to the nation. I wasted no time in going to bed early, hoping to start my normal chore the next day. However, the unfolding happenings of the next one-hour tarnished all my hope of an early rise.
I was woken by a sharp sound of gunshot outside the frontage of my house. The gunshot continued for almost 30 minutes with nobody actually sure of what was happening. Then, like a thunder strike, I heard a sharp hit on the gate of my house and then the house of my neighbour. It was as if the trigger-happy men were trying to scare the living daylight from us.
Though trembling in fear, curiosity got the better part of me as I creep walked to the window to have a glance of what was happening outside. Lo and behold, it was the men of the underworld. The armed robbery attack was at a nearby hotel and also in the house of one of the richest man in the neighbourhood. At the end of the operation, the security man guarding the house of the rich man was shot when he tried to prevent the robbers. As expected, the police men came to the scene of the crime an hour later when the armed robbers had left with the loot. Although no life was lost, the horrific experience as an eye witness to an armed robbery attack is not something to be forgotten in the near future.
The incessant attacks by armed robbers are just one among the list of woes experienced by residents of satellite towns in Nigeria. The insecurity of lives and property, coupled with the problem of epileptic power supply are perhaps the reason why armed robbery activities seemed high in our satellite towns. On a daily basis, residents are terrorized and robbed of their hard earned money irrespective of the time of the day. For instance, as part of the disadvantages of the demolition exercise by the then FCT administration is the mass exodus of criminals to satellite towns in Abuja, the repercussion of which includes an increase in cases of armed robbery, shop lifting, burglary, rape and a host of other criminal offences. Moreso, because the police department have failed in its responsibility to provide security t its citizenry, residents are left at the mercy of vigilante groups who are mostly inexperienced and lack fire arms to physically confront the robbers in a gun duet. Funny enough most of the armed robbers are residents of these satellite towns who in the day time appear to be responsible citizens, but put on a different mask at night.
Aside from the problem of armed robbery and other criminal activities in most of these satellite settlements, there is also the problem of lack of infrastructure for the convenience of residents. There is nothing like an accessible road for transportation of goods and services. Most satellite towns in Nigeria only have what can be best described as a “car path” that is littered with dirt’s and thorny objects. Worst affected areas are: Ajegunle in Lagos, Felele/Nataco in Kogi State, Kuchigoro in Abuja, Gwange in Maiduguri etc. It is usually hell for motorists during the raining season because the so called roads become so swampy and muddy, thereby causing mobility to be difficult. Pedestrians are not left out in the suffering, because one is sure to spruce up after walking through the road. Think about the health hazards residents of these satellite settlements are exposed to under such unhygienic situation. Pathetic you may say.
Moreso, there are no viable health facilities in most of these satellite settlements. All you notice around are patent medicine stores, herbalist and quack doctors who flaunt around as professionals. The few private hospitals around are most often beyond the reach of the common man due to high cost of accessing medical services. As the only way out, residents resort to the patronage of these unprofessional “Doctors” whose services often leave scars on people.
The sad story also include the shortage of portable drinking water to satellite towns. Residents only know of pipe borne water in their dreams and imagination as they appear to have been denied some of the dividends of democracy. For local cart pushers or “Mairuwa”, business could not have been better as a gallon of water sells for between N20-N30 depending on the distance. The safety of the water from the “Mairuwa” is often given less consideration by resident because of the dare need of water for sustenance. Naturally, residents long for better social amenities to better their lots, but seems helpless.
Educational wise, the story is still the same as the presence of federal schools cannot be felt in these areas either due to distance or cost. The few available schools do not meet the required academic standard because most often, pupils have to learn under tense condition. Thus, parents are forced to either spend more in providing sound education for their children/ward by enrolling them in private schools or manage with the poor schools around. This condition is not only detrimental to the educational system of the nation, but also pose a bleak picture of our future generation.
There is nothing like a recreational center or a convenient market for residents of satellite towns in Nigeria. What we see around as market is just a sporadic spread of structures springing up indiscriminately in any open space, thus rendering the environment unkept and rowdy. There appears to be no park, garden or pub to add to the esthetic beauty of the communities. The best form of recreation you can only think about is football games organized by young people on a shabby pitch filled with grasses and dangerous objects. Of course there are local cinema’s that one can also go to for relaxation, but on the condition of cohabitating with smokers of marijuana, hemp etc. Sometimes, men of the police force carry out raid on such cinema thereby authenticating the notion that cinema houses are just mere extension of criminal abode in satellite towns.
In the event of any fire outbreak, residents of the satellite towns are only left to the mercy of communal effort to fight the conflagration to a stop. This is because of the unavailability of fire services to help checkmate the problem. As a result, many people have been made to go through the bitter experience of losing either their valuables or loved ones to fire. Funny enough, nothing seems to be done by the government in providing fire stations in fighting fire outbreaks in most of the satellite towns in Abuja, Nigeria.
The big question that have remained unanswered by the government but has continued to be raised by residents of satellite towns is, “are there plans to upgrade or perhaps modernize the existing structures in these satellite towns or will the ill faith of other areas of demolition exercise hit them too?” Personally, I am of the opinion that these satellite towns be provided with basic social amenities in order to improve their standard of living. The satellite towns be provided with basic social amenities in order to improve their standard of living. The Satellite Towns, Development Agency (STDA) in various states should be properly funded and allowed to carry out its responsibilities in the general interest of Nigerians. By so doing, the ultimate largest of attaining the millennium development goals before 2015 in Nigeria will be achieved.
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