Between Expectations And Effective Governance

In the political domain, there are promises made during electioneering campaigns by politicians with baleful eyes on elective offices.

However, promises sometimes are always palatable in the tongue, but when they got to the bowels, dramatically they turned sour and bitter. In fact, it is like displaying a white sepulcher, while the content of the promise is not real.

For instance, Amah community in Ogba.Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) has gotten a glimpse of political promises from political office holders for decades without fulfillment. The only intervention came from the multi-purpose oil company, TotalFinaElf operating within the axis of the community that has brought about some amenities, whereas there are representatives of the people at various level of governance such as local government chairman and commissioners for Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) respectively.

In the light of this, it is hopeful that the newly elected chairman for Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni  Local Government Area, Hon. Raymond Wokocha, sworn-in to office at Government House by the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on Tuesday, 6th April, 2010 AD, would change the ugly political nomenclature in ONELGA and put smiles on the people’s faces.

In his post swearing-in speech, Hon. Raymond Wokocha promises to create a make good platform for positive governance in ONELGA. Be that as it may, it is better said than done, because an adage says that “it is one thing to publicise  about the killing of an elephant, however, it is another ball game to make visible that elephant for the people to ascertain.”

The council boss in a publication on page 14 of one of the local tabloid of April 12-18, 2010,  assured the people of the area that “he would make sure they reaped the dividends of democracy by completing the on-going projects and initiating new ones such as pipe borne water, health centres, and markets, among others.”

However, what attracts one’s interest is that the 21st century ONELGA boss hails from Ward 7-Igburu axis of the LGA. Of course, this is the second opportunity Igburu is playing host to the entire ONELGA from such a rare leadership position. Philosophically, it has been asserted that opportunity come but once. Now that an Igburu son has comes to the apex of ONELGA administration once again, it behooves one to  solicit that the  incumbent council chairman should exercise all effort within his authority to transform the ugly episode and conditions in some quarters of the local government that lays the golden eggs.

A lot of things are eluding the people, particularly the Igburu constituency, in terms of social and infrastructural amenities such as road network, power supply by restructuring and maintenance of Community Development Committees (CDCs), provision of portable drinking water, health and educational facilities, chieftaincy and traditional stool tussle among the ethnic nationalities with particular reference to Ogba ethnic nationality et’cetera. In a global perspective, there are notable umbrella groups coordinating the interest of the ethnic  groups and the umbrella group articulate the political needs of various forum. For example, the Ogbakor Ikwerre, the Ijaw National Congress, the Arewa Consultative Forum from the northern region, etc. It is pertinent that for decades, ONELGA has been without a formidable and united front but only in fragments that does not create room for coherence and mutual understanding, hence the developmental setbacks in ONELGA generally, despite her contributions for the sustenance of the economy.

 For instance, indigenes of ONELGA suffer untold hardship and pay high fare from Port Harcourt municipality enroute ONELGA environs on transportation. In other words, the ONELGA Express Transport Services introduced during the Local Government administration of Chief Ibe-Eresia Eke, but moribund, should be resuscitated to enhance transportation in the area. Additionally, the financial allocation to the council by the Rivers State Government including the oil derivation fund for oil producing communities, should be judiciously utilised for meaningful and feasible developmental projects.

Ominyanwa resides in Port Harcourt.

Goddy Ominyanwa