Fostering Development Of Rural Areas

The drift from rural areas to urban and cities is a common phenomenon. The reason is not far-fetched. Among several other factors, the rural areas lack the amenities and basic infrastructure that will make life conducive for dwellers.
It is no gainsaying the fact that in an era when civilisation and meaningful life is savoured and the yearnings of virtually every person—children, youth and adults, it becomes pertinent to inject modernity to rural experiences by making the rural areas worth habiting.  This can be done by attracting social amenities to it. A rural development scheme that encapsulates employment opportunities,  good roads, modern facilities and social amenities is key to drive psychological and attitudinal change in the people who live there, some of whom have not known how urban/city life looks like.
The rural-urban or city migration is inevitable if the essentials for living are not put in place.
Maslow, a socio-economic therapist formulated the hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy of needs when applied in this context, speaks volumes of the necessity to avail the rural dwellers of the basic necessity of life. This is because the majority of the population of Nigeria live in the rural areas.
Making the rural areas worth habitable is to say the least, the minutest proportion of demonstrating  good governance to the people whose resources those in government hold in trust.
A rural community that lacks electricity, health or medical facilities, good and functional primary and secondary schools, and potable drinking water, will experience the exodus of youths, men and women who are seeking greener pastures.
According to Maslow’s Need Hierarchy, self-preservation is of essence, basic and fundamental to human existence. It is the bedrock of all other segments of the hierarchy that culminates to self-actualisation – the consummation of a purpose driven life. Safety needs, belonging and love, self-esteem and actualisation have their anchorage in the physiological rung. Self-preservation is instinctive in man because it is the first law of nature.
Therefore, the yearning for a sustainable rural development scheme is unequivocally a necessity.
It becomes necessary for state and local governments to evolve development plan for rural areas. Multinational companies, including oil prospecting, exploration and servicing companies must see the welfare of host communities as an indispensable corporate responsibility. Community leaders including chiefs, Community Development Committees and youth bodies should make the development of their community a priority instead of accepting peanuts  in lieu of community development projects. Well-to-do indigenes should rather think of what to do to develop the community rather than what to gain from it.
Consequently, I give a pat on the back of a United States-based son of Bukuma in Degema Local Government Area, who attracted to the community a medical facility. The ground breaking ceremony which was held last Saturday was novel in a community that is faced with the challenges of greed and avarice. Rather than allowing communal interest take precedence, some indigenes, self-centred  group will stop at nothing, to shortchange the community. For them, it is “either ‘I’ or no other person”, even though their action will translate to loss of property and lives. It was such inordinate ambition that led to the gruesome and cold blooded murder of innocent people on Wednesday, October 8, 2000 in the community.
The community was deserted and indigenes were exposed to the vagaries of refugee life. Borrowing the words of Sans Buckler, “the past I can tell you is a bucket of ashes”. That was indeed the situation in the community.
It was in reminiscence of the ugly past (which every lover of the community prays should not be re-enacted) that chiefs, elders, men, women, youths and children rolled out the traditional drums to welcome their own, Mr. Temple Tobins, a magnanimous and hospitable son – one with a diamond heart.
Such selfless and empathetic sons who can find in a community that is ridden in ‘kill and divide’, ‘I or no one else’ syndrome. – A community where greed and exploitation at the expense of the generality of the people finds expression.
Indeed, a good son is the pride of the father. And Mr Tobins has proved himself a good son and everyone except anti-development forces, are proud of him.
The benefactor’s gesture which represents the commitment of a man to positively impact his fatherland should serve as a challenge to those who feed fat from the commonwealth of the people. They should realise that Bukuma has son(s) who love, and remain patriotic to the community,  though their sources of income and means of livelihood have no link with economic resources and fortunes of the community.
There is need for all people of goodwill to think of how they can contribute positively to the wellbeing of the rural dwellers and improving their lives instead of destroying them.

By: Igbiki Benibo