Okwe Obi
Tucked in between the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and the popular NICON junction is a sprawling community called Gishiri.
Gishiri in Hausa language means salt and the place offers different taste to different people. To some, it epitomises squalor and degradation; others see it as a quiet community for the lower class with good proximity to the city centre.
At the entrance, you are greeted by commercial motorcyclists, herb sellers and block industries. You do not expect to see many beautiful structures; but as you go deeper on the tarred sections of the roads, you are thrilled by lovely houses best described as architectural masterpieces.
For those without vehicles, get ready for a dust bath in dry seasons as the cyclists and motorists speed recklessly on the un-tarred portion. As you explore the community further, the beautiful buildings gradually disappear, revealing shanties. The roads too depreciate in quality and narrows into a tiny undulating path.
No thanks to residents who snatched a portion of the road to build their houses and shops. Competition for space has led to endless squabbles among motorists as two vehicles can no longer pass side by side.
Gishiri boasts of many relaxation spots where residents unwind. There is a bar at every turn. Beside the bars are chefs preparing affordable catfish pepper soup and smoked tilapia. The beef pepper soup is always hot with the meat dancing in the sauce before service.
But if you hate noise, steer clear of Gishiri because diverse music from the relaxation spots blares like sirens in deafening resonance. For rent seekers, do not expect tall buildings. It is as if the landlords swore to erect only dwarf homes, which constitute 80 per cent of the buildings. Occupants must duck before entering any door.
Despite these architectural shortfalls, rent in Gishiri is quite expensive. Annual rent for a studio apartment is between N150,000 and N200,000, while a bedroom flat is rented at N450,000 per annum. The high cost is fuelled by high demand since Gishiri is known to enjoy stable power and water supply.
Investigations revealed that most of the beautiful girls working in the city centre actually reside with many squatting with friends and associates. Crime rate in Gishiri has assumed an alarming dimension in recent times. The most reported crime is car theft and vehicles used for Uber services are prime targets.
Uber drivers, according to residents, sleep with one eye closed. For those who do not want to risk it, they resort to parking their vehicles at the police station but for a fee.
Augustine Daudu, an Uber driver, who has spent almost 10 years in Gishiri said: “This is a nice place to stay because of the constant power supply we enjoy. In fact, if there is power outage, I can tell you when it would be restored and I will not be wrong. That is how good it is.
“But one thing that scares us is the rampant cases of car theft around our area. And soft targets are mostly Uber drivers using Toyota Corolla. No matter how we protect our cars, thieves still try to break in. So, to avoid being a victim, most of us park our vehicles at the police station for safety. But we pay the officers N1,000 to N2,000 for a night.”
Josephine Peters, a trader, spoke on the tribulations they go through during the rainy season: “Don’t even go there during the rainy season because you will not like it. The road would become impassable. This gutter you think is big, cannot contain the water. If you look at the edge of the road, the gutter is showing signs of collapse. We are at the mercies of God.
“Amid this, there lies a fearful and gigantic mountain staring one in the face. It is so mighty that it could be sighted from any location one stands in the area and the Nigerian flag hoisted on top. At night, the mountain illuminates with flames of candles all over. It is not motorable. It’s only on foot one can get there, but not without stress and grasping for breath.
“It takes meticulousness and surefootedness for a first timer to ascend to the top. Even with arrow signs directing climbers on how to ascend, it is still fearful. Regardless, people still build houses on the mountain. A plot of land is sold for N30,000 to to N40,000 by indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), that is Gbaygi.”
Amina Kabiru said she has been living in Gishiri for seven years: “We do not dig foundation; we build on the mountain. Blasting of stones is not easy not to talk of digging a foundation. Let us enjoy our stay while it lasts. Whenever government wants to break the whole stones which is not even possible in the nearest future we will relocate.”
Still on the mountain, Daily Sun spotted what looked like churches. The first one is called God’s Altar of Solution. It has the sign of the cross in the middle painted black and white including different scriptural inscriptions on stones like the ‘”Land of Power”, “The Lord’s Garden” and “Confess Your Sins.” It is Nigeria’s version of Jerusalem where Christians go for pilgrimage.
People from different places storm the mountain for spiritual rejuvenation. There have been unconfirmed reports of mentally unstable persons getting healed after visiting the church.
Another church spotted is called Christ Freedom Deliverance Ministry. Every Sunday, the two churches try to outdo each other during service; turning the mountain into a noisy zone. A few metres away, you have rock breakers chiselling out rocks. These young men operate in groups and take turns to break the stones. They are paid N13,000 for a truckload of stones crushed.
As you exit the mountain, there is a red empty container owned by a Ghanaian where he lives in. His name is Patrick Ackah, from West Region, Ghana. He has spent 41 years in Nigeria.
When he came to Nigeria in 1979, as a chef, life was a roller-coaster. He worked with the creme d’ la creme of the society including Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and Special Adviser to President Mohammadu Buhari on Niger Delta, Ita Enang. Since then, he has never thought of going back to his country. In fact, Ackah, married Esther, a lady from Abonima in Rivers State and they had a son, Denis.
Esther died in 2011. He adjusted and accepted his fate. Enang trained Denis in primary and secondary school. He wanted to get a job for him at civil defence corps before he was attacked by his friends and killed on September 14, 2019. His misery continued to the point that he lost his accommodation where he paid N85,000 per annum.
As if that was not enough, he resorted to living inside a container and also selling herbs mixed with alcohol imported from Ghana: “I came to Nigeria in 1979. I came here to work as a chef. I started from Fontana Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State, owned by a Lebanese.
“From there, the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon took me to head GOC Guest House, Kaduna. Sariki Murtah was the one that removed me that I was supposed to go with Idiagbon.
“Then I moved to Abuja and started working at the National Assembly. I worked with Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, the late Obuta Tamba, from Cross River State, Ishaku Shara and Senator Jonathan Zwingina. I went to Gwarinpa and worked for Zwingina’s son, Kabra. Then I left and started doing my part time work until I never got another job.
“Nigeria was a beautiful country in those days. We used to have enough food and job opportunities. Now everything has gone sour; no job, insecurity is in the increase, corruption is the order of the day.
“I lost my accommodation because of my inability to pay rent. I was paying N85, 000 per annum. I now sleep inside this container. Even the container is not my own. It belongs to my sister who travelled home.
“My wife, Esther, was from Abonima, Rivers State. I married her in 1990. She died in 2011. I had a 26-year-old son, who was attacked by nine boys and killed last year December. When the boys were arrested they said they never intended killing him. One of the boys who hit him with a plank is already in prison. I was sleeping when some of his friends woke me up and broke the news.”