Abuja Zimbabwe: How FCDA bulldozed popular garden at Hill Top Gidan Daya

Zimbabwe is one African nation that rings bell whenever it comes up for reckoning. The country located in the fringes between South Africa Mozambique and Eritrea is famous for its political, economic and cultural history.

Zimbabwe has a rich cultural heritage and people. It is one of the nations in Africa that has the longest serving presidency. Among all notable African leaders including Zamora Machel of Mozambique, Idi Amin of Uganda, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kwameh Nkrumah of Ghana, Robert Mugabe of Zimbawe was one of the longest serving African leaders.

Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe. It is one of the capital cities in the continent of Africa that has retained its status despite the long years of military interregnum in most African nations. Countries famous for military dictatorship in Africa include Ghana, Liberia, Somalia, Nigeria and a host of others.

And so going by this rich history, some African nations had copied the Zimbabwean example of leadership without frequent changes. African people name their streets, markets, rivers, estates, and even popular relaxation centres as Zimbabwe not minding how the longest serving leader in Africa was dethroned after serving for nearly four decades aged 92.

At Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, there were before the recent past, two popular relaxation centres nicknamed Zimbabwe because of the serenity of their locations and the huge number of people who throng these gardens for rest and relaxation especially during weekends.

While one of these popular gardens is located at the outskirts of Abuja near the boundary between the nation’s capital and neighboring Nassarawa State on the one hand, the other Zimbabwe is located at Gidan Daya near Orozo in the heart of Abuja metropolis in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

Regrettedly however, the popular Zimbabwe located at the top of the hill between Gidan Daya and Gidan Mangoro in Abuja metropolitan city centre had been mowed down by bulldozers authorized by the authorities of Federal Capital Territory Administration FCDA for undisclosed reasons.

This popular garden measuring about 450 square meters in both lenght and width with trees and other natural vegetations has become one of the wonders of the 21st century. It housed many people including petty traders, artisans, cobblers, actors and many other categories of people.

Before it was demolished by the federal authorities, there were beer sellers, fish sellers, snookers, gamblers, prostitututes, artisans and all manner of people from different walks of life who earned a living from this popular garden in the FCT.

On many weekends, some people sleep over at the hill top garden due to the number of activities going on in this corner.At night both the visitors and their host usually parked thier vehicles at the parking lot at the foot of the hill before the garden.

There were many other activities that generated millions and trillions of hard currencies at this popular relaxation centre before the FCDA bulldozers found their way into the facility.

There is no gainsaying that many Nigerians have lost their means of livelihood at the popular Abuja Zimbabwe at Gidan Daya in Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC since the demolition of the hill top garden by the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCDA authorities midway into the year 2017.