The need to develop cit
ies in Rivers State, other than Port Harcourt, the State capital has been emphasized by members of the public as they spoke to The Tide on the World Cities Day.
The day, which is marked on every October, 31 each year is set aside by United Nations (UN) to highlight the significance of Urban Basic Services as a foundation for socio-economic development .
This years’ theme of the World Cities Day is; “Inclusive Cities Share Development”
But in Rivers State, Port Harcourt has been enjoying an age long monopoly of social and economic activities which is taking a toll on other cities like Ahoada, Abua, Bori, Omoku and even Bonny.
No much effort, according to The Tide investigation, seems to have been made by past administrations to address the anomaly.
Some Port Harcourt residents who spoke to The Tide on the matter said if the attention to Port Harcourt was shared to include other towns, it would reduce challenges of traffic congestion, cost of accommodation and business activity amongst others.
“It is important that a State as big as Rivers should have satellite cities like Omoku, Bori, Abua and Ahoada”, a respondent told The Tide.
He said it was important for government to make such satellite cities attractive in terms of infrastructure, so that it would check rural urban migration.
“There is a lot of crowd, the place, (Port Harcourt) is so congested and economic activity is in disarray”, said a trader at the Oil Mill market.
There should be a decentralised policy on the part of government because there are vast lands across the state like Elele, Omoku and Abua, amongst others” another respondent said.
Also lending his voice, an economist Dr. Julius Wariso said the government should establish ministries, (MDAs) Departments and Agencies across the local government headquarters in the State.
He decried the practice whereby pensioners travel from their LGAs, for exercises in Port Harcourt and called for a reversal of the trend.
“How can a retiree from Odual travel to Port Harcourt for an exercise,” he queried.
Wariso said the decentralization policy of former Governor Melford Okilo should be revisited in order to re activate economic activities in the state.