From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Ideally, the rainy season ought to a blessing. But this is not so for Abuja residents. This is because rains make life tougher for them, especially those in the suburbs.
Apart from severe cold and rampant malaria transmission, the rains come with severe winds that yank off roofs of buildings.
That is not all. Most times, it is accompanied by flash flood, sweeping away anything on its path.
The roads are not spared. Inner communities without tarred roads and good drainage channels must stack sacks of granites at flash points to save their roads.
Those who do not plan ahead battle craters dug by flash floods. The pains have become a yearly occurrence and there is no hope in sight.
Communities with bad roads like Byazhin, Karshi, Dei-dei and Nyanya are the worst hit. Transporters dread plying such routes, especially after a downpour.
Majority of the dwellers in the communities rely heavily on the commercial motorcyclists known as okada men to commute. Others bank on tricycles. Taxis and buses are out of place. They dare not risk plying such death traps.
Those with sedans often leave them at home to minimise damages. Those with SUVs manage to manoeuvre the road.
Ayo Kunle, a resident of Jabi lamented: “This weather is too cold. It is really a weather for two. It has not been easy for most of us that are single. The floor, the room, even the bed is cold. Almost everybody is having a runny nose and coughing ceaselessly.
“But for me, I have resolved to take a tot of agbo (herbal roots soaked in dry gin) every morning and night. I also use it to wash my face every morning before stepping out.”
Henry Ogbo from Dutse also confessed: “This cold is something else.
I don’t know whether it is because we are close to the hills. It is very difficult these days because you can’t buy gas for cooking food and now use it for boiling bath water. Thank God schools are on break, if not it wouldn’t have been funny at all.”
For those living in satellite towns transporters have hiked the fares.
Places that ordinarily would have cost N100 now costs between N200 and N300 when it rains.
A resident of Apo, Kelechi Oke, disclosed that such unfortunate circumstances once cost him a good business: “When I got to my bus stop, I had to alight from the vehicle, and I was unable to proceed further because of the rain. I was under the bridge until the rain subsided and some cab drivers were not ready to pick up passengers.
“Also, okada riders would not work. When the rain became lighter, the few okada riders that resumed work hiked their fare from N50 to N150, some even N200. I was going for a business appointment but everything went sour because I couldn’t meet up with the time. The most annoying part was that I was battered by rain and cold.”
Abraham Yunusa, who resides in Dakibiu in Jabi said okada riders in his area would charge between N150 and N200 during the rains if they reluctantly agree to work for a distance that is originally N80:
“Charging about 100 per cent of the normal transport at night and during rain is not the problem, but some okada riders will refuse to even carry you.”
Liliana Ochei, a civil servant residing at Byazhin Across in Kubwa, said the road to her house is so bad that she parked her car and now uses taxis: “When it rains, aside from the inflated transport fare, some okada riders do not operate. Keke drivers hike the fare as well.”
Usman Mufutau, a taxi driver in Byazhin Across, said: “I don’t go out whenever it rains because of the nature of our road. The road is so bad that if you are not careful, you get trapped. Most times, I park my cab in Kubwa and take a bike in the morning from my house to get it before going to work.”
George Okoh said: “In Jahi 2, in the morning, okada riders would insist on carrying Jahi Junction or Next Cash and Carry for N150 or N200. When it is raining, they would increase the price to deter commuters or decide not to carry passengers at all.
“Some of them will not work, and those who will work, will hike their fare. If the rain subsides, you may spend up to one or two hours at Jahi 2. This gives both keke drivers and okada riders the opportunity to hike their fares. This is what we are experiencing during the rainy season.”
A resident of Jikwoyi, another Abuja suburb, Idris Terfa said: “On a good day, okada riders would carry passengers from Phase 2 to Phase 3 for N100 in the morning. When it rains the price would change to between N200 and N250.
“At night when it rains okada riders, who decide to carry passengers, would collect N500 from Jikwoyi Phase 3 to Nyanya Motor Park. In most cases, many of them would not work.”
Mary Adah, a corn seller at Maitama Junction, said: “I once she went home with almost half of my boiled corn because most of my customers did not come out because of the rain.
“We ate corn for two days because I couldn’t sell them. The rain continued for days like this and most people especially these public servants didn’t come out and it landed me in debts.”