Providing: Amenities For Rural Communities

In the order of importance or preference, there is probably no social amenity or infrastructure that is as all embracing as electricity.

Even in creation, the significance of light was never underestimated. This is to say that as power or light meant so much in God’s creation programme, so does it today in the life of human beings, communities and nations. Federal, State and Local Govt levels realise this significance and try their best to provide it. This must have ac­counted for the determined posture of the Amaechi-Ied administration to provide electricity to all communities in Rivers State.

The recent commissioning of the Abua Central electrification project by the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi provided yet another assurance to rural dwellers that the present administration matches its promises with action.

Governor Amaechi who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Magnus Abe declared that in the past, the people always harvested baskets full of empty and unpatriotic promises of “I will do this I will do that,” at all levels of government. Bent on changing the development landscape of the State, he has vowed to join the league of functional and progressive state government in the country for the good of Rivers State. In the parlance of politics, he has become identified as “Talk and do Governor”. The State Chief Executive who had prom­ised to electrify the nine communities that constitute the Abua Central Urban Area during his maiden Meet-the-People-Tour of Abua/Odual Local Government Area on the 29th of June last year fulfilled the promise barely six months after. The jubilation and sheer joy expressed by the people of Abua on the successful completion and commissioning of the Electrification Project was overwhelming and greatly motivated the State Governor to be more determined to bring an end to the age long darkness syndrome in our rural communities in Rivers State.

Governor Amaechi saw that it made more sense before God and man, to fulfill development promises to the people than to leave them unattended to for reasons that are purely selfish and unpatriotic. Driven by a commitment to touch the lives of the people whom he swore to protect and utilise their resources for their good, has announced that no project awarded by his administration would be abandoned by any contractor no matter who is involved.

The State Chief Executive used the opportunity to warn contractors in the state to live up to the expectation of the people and government at all times or have their contracts revoked, stressing that necessary sanctions would be taken against such erring contractors in order to deter others.

In his usual frankness, Rt. Hon. Amaechi appealed to indigenous contractors never to take the slogan “Rivers money for Rivers people” for granted, pointing out that his administration will never partner nor tolerate contractors who are not prepared to deliver on schedule and in accordance with government certified and approved specifi­cations for contract jobs awarded to them.

Our people especially those privileged to get go eminent contracts must deliver. It is heart breaking and indeed sad to note that some of the non performing contractors are failing to execute these projects in their own communities.

With the new year and the government’s zeal to make the people happy intensified, the Ministry of Power should do everything possible to religiously implement the Rivers State Rural Electrification Scheme, simultaneously in most rural communities across the State.

This is one project and indeed a laudable initiative that can truly assuage the high expectations, hopes and enthusiasm already being demonstrated by the development oriented administration under the leadership of a man who has a date with history and his creator.

Onyije writes from Port Harcourt.

Dike Onyije