Awka, the capital of Anambra State, prides itself as ‘the light of the nation’. The city, located in the heart of Igboland, boasts a population of more than half a million people. Strategically, it is located midway between two major Igbo cities of Onitsha and Enugu with a temperature that hovers between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius.
The town is reputed as the home to blacksmiths who are mostly responsible for the crafting of dane guns hoes, cutlasses and other implements that make agriculture to thrive in Igboland.
In time past, Awka was made up of many sub-communities. Today, they have all blended into one and divided into Awka North and South local government areas.
However, it still preserves its traditional systems of governance with Ozo titled men often consulted for village and community issues, with a traditional ruler, Eze-Uzu, as the helmsman. One good feature of Awka is its accommodating spirit for visitors. Residents, however, do not compromise on business deals, particularly when they concern rent.
An indigene of the town and state coordinator of Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM), Comrade Obi Ochije, attributed this to the high cost of building materials in the area.
Ochije wants the state government to begin the construction of low cost houses in the city for workers to enjoy reduced rent in the area. He recalled that the city was regarded as “home for all” in the good old days because of its accommodating nature. Furthermore, he wants the state government to dualise the narrow Dike Street in the city for easy flow of traffic.
Awka has 33 major villages and attracts people from other states. It has a significant number of immigrants from Northern Nigeria and the West. It was during the administration of former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju that the town, which hitherto was concentrated in a particular area, began to extend towards the popular Aroma and Government House, among others.
Accommodation for government workers and business people has been a major problem in the city with a legion of people competing for few houses. The administrations of Mbadinuju and former Governor Chris Ngige made possible the construction of a few estates, including Ngozika on the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway. Other estates in the city include Iyiagu, located behind the Government House; Udoka; Ahocol Phase 1; Rockland and Abuja , all situated along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway. There are also the Isiagu 1, 000 housing units located along Agu-Awka and Esther Obiakor Housing Estate.
Many of the estates were also developed during the administration of Peter Obi, a legacy that has been taken further by his successor, Willie Obiano. Obiano is also determined to open up the capital city with the construction of three flyovers from Amawbia to Amasea communities.
The city has two major markets, Eke-Awka and Amenyi, where the inhabitants buy the different goods they need on a daily basis. Interestingly, the city, though not as large as other cities, does not have any amusement centre or playground yet. Residents make use of school playgrounds and some private keep fit centers to keep fit. Some of thriving businesses in the city are cyber cafes and restaurants, which are found in every nook and cranny. Workers and business people sit at different joints to while away time.
The location of institutions of higher in the state, especially in Awka, has made the town livelier with students from Federal Polytechnic, Oko; Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Anambra State University storming the city in search of greener pastures. Other students from Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe and Paul University in Awka also throng the city in search of fun.
The influx of politicians to the city has also caused supermarkets, pharmacy and gift shops to thrive in the town.
However, night life is almost zero because of criminal activities which have held the state hostage in recent years. This is unlike Lagos, Enugu and other major cities where life is in full throttle for most parts of the night.
Former Governor Obi fought criminals, especially kidnappers, to a standstill. One of his effective weapons was the demolition of their houses and those of their collaborators. Such criminal elements were also paraded regularly by the police with the support of the state government. This did much to reduce the brazenness of kidnappers’ activities.
Happily, Governor Willie Obiano, toeing the same path, has vowed to make the state uncomfortable for criminals by inaugurating Operation Nkpochapu with a joint task force comprising the military, the police and other para-military outfits to flush out hoodlums from the state.
There are some major eateries in the city where businessmen, students and politicians wine and dine with their better halves or friends. The eateries include Macdons, Trillers, Be-joy, Crunchies, Chuckies, Pallx, Mr. Bigs and Tetrazzini, among others.
There are also big hotels that attract visitors from Asaba in Delta State, Enugu, Imo and other surrounding states. They include Geogold Hotels, Finotel, Crescent Spring and J’Burg Hotels. Others are Barn Hill, Irish Gardens, Palos Verdes, Queens Suites Parkonia, Golffin, Old English, Stanford Bridge, White View, Hotel Limited, de-Limit, Cheleku, Sun-city, Tracy, Choice, the Benjamins and King David.
