Victoria Awom
3 July 2008
analysis
Across the satellite towns of Abuja are Car Dealers displaying their wares. But where are they supposed to display these expensive but important wares, after their exit from the Abuja City Center? Is the government still serious about providing them with the Automotive Village?
A frequent passerby along the Kubwa Express Road in Abuja, will take it for an automotive market ,as whatever car you want is displayed on the ever busy road. From limousines to V-boot, the jeeps to the Honda Accords, to mention a few. The heavy traffic on this road makes the car dealers rejoice as it is free advertisement to the numerous Abuja residents that ply this road daily, as they feed their eyes on these cars every day. One confessed to Daily Trust of his desire to own one of these flashy cars. "When I pass by these cars, it motivates me to work hard and buy my own car. There was this long car I saw in one of the Motor stands recently, I could not resist the temptation to look at it, until the bus I was in passed",Muhammed Sani said enthusiastically.
The last administration in the FCT led by malam Nasir el-rufai sent all the car dealers packing out of the city center to the designated Automotive Village, as part of its drive to restore Abuja to its Master Plan. The Kubwa expressway was not that supposed Automotive Village, but Tungan- Maje, a suburb in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. Tungan-maje is about 50 minutes drive from the city center, and about 35 kilometers from Wuse.It is 3 kilometers from Zuba, a major junction for those coming into the capital city from the Northern axis- and from the East via Lokoja.
One indigene of Tungan-Maje, the place that was first earmarked as street, the Abuja Automotive Village, Malam Alidu narrated to Daily Trust about their hopes when they learnt the place was to become Abuja's Automotive Village. "When President Obasanjo came to commission this place as the Automotive Village, we were all happy and excited that something great has come to us at last. Prior to the president's visit, a small road was constructed to the proposed site of the Automotive Village, and a residential building that was standing there, was taken over by the government. All of these made everyone happy, that economic activities will be in top gear in this place soon. But all that hope was dashed as weeks turned to months, months to years, and the land has been lying fallow just the way it was when President Obasanjo came there. On the signboard leading to the place, it was written plots are now on sale. Whether the Motor Dealers are to buy the plots and develop it themselves, or the government was to develop the place, is what I don't know. Even the machines that were used for the road construction have been stuck there, some are totally dead, and to my mind the whole project was a mirage that never came true, and we the villagers are disappointed that a project which the president of the country came to commission, can flop. The hope of our people to have an economic activity booming here has been dashed."
When Daily Trust visited the site where the Automotive Village was supposed to be, we were welcomed by grasses and a refuse dump, and it was obvious that nothing was happening there, because grasses have grown in the land and the machines were grounded ,and some looking rusted beyond repairs. .Just then, this reporter saw a youngman walking towards her direction.
Mr. Isa Abubakar, as he introduced himself, said he is the security man working with the Construction Company which constructed the road leading to the site. Probably, he was hired to watch over the dead machines as he was sitting close to one of the machines, from where he sited this reporter. While chatting with him he said "I'm watching over the place until the company comes and packs these machines from here. So why will they move the equipment from here, are they not supposed to work here? Daily Trust enquired. Mr. Abubakar said the company he works for, was contracted to construct the road ,but not to develop the Automotive Village. So, "we have done our part, and we will move out of the place soon."
When Daily Trust sought to know about other companies that ought to work there, he said "I have not seen any company working here since the president came here. I only see some Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) officials, who come here from time to time. But I heard they want to give the contract to another person, and I have told them that whoever they give the contract to, I will be willing to work with them too." Abubukar is already trying to secure a future for himself, but that future may never be, now that Tungan-Maje is no longer the supposed automotive Village, as stated by the present FCT Minister.
It is not only Abubakar's dreams that are being shattered, but that of the entire people of Tungan-Maje. Responding to this development, one of the residents ,Malam Bala Jibrin ,said it is unfortunate that the Automotive Village project has been taken to Dei Dei where there is the building materials market already. I hope the government will bring something tangible to us after all," he said hopefully.
But why the inhabitants of Tungan-maje seem to be unhappy about this development, the Abuja Motor Dealers Association is delighted at the change of plan. While speaking to the Chairman, Motor Dealers Association, FCT branch, and Managing Director HA&H Motors, Bar.Hamza Abdullahi, he said the decision by the past administration to send them away from the city center was a hasty decision. In his words "no work was done in the automotive village in Tugan Maje, before they asked us to leave the city center. Even at the time President Obasanjo went there, they just constructed a small road leading to the site ,but there was no structure on ground. All we saw was a beautiful plan on paper, with nothing on ground to show for it. That is why I said our movement from town was impromptu, with no structure on ground to move us to. So, some of us ended up on the Kubwa Expressway, and some are along the Nyanya Road, and even some have left the town to Kaduna and Lafia respectively."
When Daily Trust asked him what the association would have done to make the automotive village in Tungan Maje, a reality, he said "due to the excitement we had when we saw the proposed automotive village plan on paper, we asked the then government to demarcate the land, but it kept asking us to pay some amount of money first, this to my mind was not proper, because if they want us to be part of it, the government should have developed the place to a certain level, before they ask us to pay any money. So to my mind the Tungan Maje Automotive Village thing had a fire brigade approach to it, without any proper plan and organization. I can tell you, no work was done on that land after the commissioning, even the machines that were supposed to work there are grounded, and the place is lying fallow. Of course, we can't move our multi-million naira business to such environment without security and other infrastructure on the ground." he said. "But today" he continued, "all that has become an old story as this new administration has come to wipe our tears.The present Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr.Aliyu Modibbo Umar has announced that an automotive village be built in Dei Dei.According to what I heard there will be provision for a show room and a residential quarters in the plan ,amongst others. This to my mind is more realistic, and with the plan to have residential quarters there, I think that will de-congest people from the city center. And if that plan comes to reality, I believe other institutions like banks will be glad to have branches there too.
When asked how the association of Motor Dealers hopes to collaborate with the government to make this become a reality, he said "the government has not called on us yet, but if it does, we as an association are willing to cooperate with it. We are aware the government is gearing towards public private partnership, and we are willing to support them in our own capacity."
Abdullahi said for them to facilitate their move to the new automotive village, the place must be accessible, because if there is no good road, customers will not be able to access the market. Also, other infrastructure such as electricity and water supply should be provided. Electricity he said, is a necessity for business anywhere to flourish. "In this era of Information and Communication Technology, one cannot do without electricity, as people need to connect to you on-line to enhance quick services. Again, security outfit is needed in the proposed automotive village. Because as you already know, dealing in cars is a multi-million naira business, so we will need something like a police station in the place" he said.
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