Amaechi’s Demolition For Growth
- Details
- Category: Odimegwu ONWUMERE
- Published on Monday, 09 July 2012 22:12
- Written by Odimegwu Onwumere
A valuable human society depends upon the right for development given to it. We must ever urge for this sincere and honest and positive inherent urge for spreading out and growth. Mahatma Gandhi would say that constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent
drives himself into a false position.
Without such demolition as we are experiencing in certain areas of Rivers State, the Europe-like development many people want to see in Africa will be a tall dream. In earnest, development is very good but it all depends on how we are developing and who is developing us. This is why everybody must commend Governor Chibuike Amaechi of the state
in his efforts to seeing that people are relieved of a life of shacks
and squalor.
Without mincing words, as the number one person in Rivers State,
people should advise the governor on the kind of job to do at the
affected areas, and not to drag him to the mud. Most people are
opposed to even the genuine position of the state government. Why?
Whether we are opposition or critics, we must have a conscience to
praise Amaechi where he is getting it right and admonish him where he
may be going astray. This does not make one a double-speaker. We must
understand that things must change for people to also change. Whether
Amaechi has “moral justification to embark on further demolition of
structures in the state” as was a speculation or not, at least,
everybody knows that he has the supporting justification, which gives
him the power to duty. Can he also be asked if he has the democratic
justification?
However, this demolition should not be seen as disruption of the
affected residents if we must go by the land Decree of 1978. Does the
government no longer own the land and can use it as at when wished?
What we must tell Aamechi is to caution those he always assigns most
of the contracts to, because some of them do very poor jobs. And this
is giving him a worst name and reputation. Observations without being
bias will attest that Amaechi is really out to make a difference but
certain persons or groups only collect money and abandon the reason
the money was meant. So, accusing Amaechi of gross misappropriation of
the resources at his disposal is a high-talk. But he needs to be
cautioned because it seemed that he was not cautioning his
lieutenants.
Notwithstanding, Amaechi should caution himself. He should avoid a
situation where he is now seen as a governor with many works without
motion. He was once vibrant and people applauded him in respect to
that except on certain areas where critics admonished him and the
opposition was opposed to him.
It is rational to continue with the demolition works as far as they
meet the rights of the occupants of the affected areas. He should also
not allow contactors to abandon work in the areas after a strenuous
demolition. He should meet works and words with action. Amaechi should
create avenues where the demolitions will not affect the economic
activities and social life of the people. We would use this
opportunity to say that he should be much concerned with road
constructions especially in Oyigbo. There are roads there, but no
pliable ones. Amaechi should in a nutshell listen to Barack Obama:
This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets
have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a
cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be
able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many.
Odimegwu Onwumere is the Coordinator, Concerned Non-Indigenes In
Rivers State (CONIRIV). Mobile: +2348032552855. E-mail:
