20 Jun 2009 |
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STILL ON THAT NEW PORTHARCOURT MEGA CITY Prince Ikeokwu Nwaokugha Once upon a time, the garden city of Nigeria was situated in PortHarcourt , the Rivers State capital, the State does not only blaze the thrill by setting the piece for other oil producing states, but also remained dominant as the heart-beat of hydrocarbon industry and the Treasure Base of the Nation. This as it were, attracted both local and foreign investors to harness these rich potentials. The serenity of the environment; hospitality, relative peace, coupled with relaxation cosines spread in all nooks and cranny made it a home for all. What of the agrarian prowess of her people who ensured that both edible crops and aquatic life of all kinds and sizes are readily available within the PortHarcourt metropolis and its environs, to feed the teaming population? Recently, the aura of excellence associated with this great city has continued to retrogress in all ramifications, starting from violence and criminality, insecurity, breakdown of laws and order, most importantly, the sprouting of slums and shanties that have defaced the beauty of this enviable city, which invariably remain a blemish on the original master plan prepared decades ago by her founding fathers. No doubt, the master plan of any city is a sensitive document which specifies the land mass, settlement plans and facilities to be put in place. Let us agree that urban development and management has remained a major challenge in Nigeria including Abuja, the capital Territory, as a result of lack of a well defined urban policy and inefficient regulatory mechanism. To be candid, it is more expensive to address distortions in the master plan than to systematically implement it from the start. It becomes an eye saw when one travels to notable cities, including PortHarcourt; one would be tempted to ask if there were master plans before the establishment of these cities due to the chaotic traffic situations. Frankly speaking, once the original plan of a city is altered, there is likely to be a structural deface which may or may never be corrected. Despite the problem of land supply in PortHarcourt, rapid urban growth in the last 2 decades has put enormous pressure on the available land. This has resulted to urban expansion taking place in an unstructured manner, without provisions for infrastructure and other services, especially in the part of the metropolis that are within indigenous communities. Experience shows that the price and the availability of land is a key determinant of housing quality and living condition in any city, which unarguably, reflects the current realities in PortHarcourt. PortHarcourt no doubt, was carefully planned just like any important city to accommodate both the high and low income earners, but the problem lies on previous administration’s inability to carryout massive expansion project, to reduce pressure on the already overcrowded state capital. A visit to Diobu areas proves that those axes are no longer habitable going by the modern acceptable standard of living, as huge pressure is being placed on the little available facility, secondly the structures were not carefully planned to accommodate the present population as presently witnessed. This calls to question, the relevance and functionalities of the Rivers State Ministry of planning and Urban Development, with recourse to the colossal yearly budgetary allocation, including the appointment of Commissioners in different fora to man this sensitive Ministry, which Engr. Tele Ikuru, the present Rivers State Deputy Governor was a key player; this ministry has over the years performed below expectation. It is annoying that the Rivers State Ministry of Planning and Urban Development does not have the accurate data of physical structures in the Port Harcourt metropolis, which falls under its purview, even as some structures are erected under high tension electric poles. Kudos to Governor Amaechi’s vision and doggedness to restore the lost glory of this defaced city through demolition of illegal structures and expansion project. This project as proposed will engulf fifty billion Naira in 50 years, spreading across more than six LGA. This proposal however, brought a sigh of relief to the people of the state, since it is the surest and civilized method of decongesting a city and taking development closer to the people, provided the intentions are not sabourtaged. Looking at Governor Amaechi’s political will to get things done at the proper time and place, I think he deserves commendation. However, there are fundamental questions begging for more answers than have answered. Considering the challenges of this onerous task, how will this project be funded (through Public Private Partnership or solely on the revenue accruing to the state)? What is the relevance of the Niger Delta Master Plan proposed by the Federal Government in this regard? Does Mr. Alabraba led-committee has the political will and technical competence to deliver in the face of distractions and pressure? What about the 50 years life span of the programme, taking into cognizance the inconsistencies of government policies? This boils to the fact that a Governor has not more than two terms of four years each, also no administration considers it expedient to inherit projects. Looking at the caliber of people constituted to execute this hi-powered assignment, well they should be awarded a fair mark. One thing is to accept responsibility, another is fulfilling the mandate. It is obvious that the burden of hope has been placed on their shoulders as the good people of Rivers State are watching. To be reticent, since the inauguration of this committee, there have been a lot of congratulatory messages to the members, indirectly reminding them on the need to tap from the state treasury. It is pertinent for Individual members of this committee to search their conscience from a moral perspective and see this as a golden opportunity to contribute to the development of the state. Any attempt to commercialize this mandate is like monetizing the future, as such, posterity will never forgive any act to sabotage a genuine intention. For this project to achieve its desired purpose, issue like implementation as well as a well defined land policy, including planning, control, development laws; enforcement and communal land disputes must be addressed. Lets acknowledge that land, an important factor of production, is a huge resources of inestimable value in Rivers State in general and Port Harcourt in particular, it becomes a necessity to reposition the State Ministry of Planning and Urban Development to brace up to the challenges as these fall under its purview. With all sense of unity; whether the Ikwerres, Etches Okirikas, Andonis, Opopos, Ogonis, etc, Rivers State belongs to all of us, we have no other place to call our own. Let’s shun sabourtage and other criminal tendencies to complement the effort of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in building a “New Rivers State” to reclaim our lost pride in the comity of states. Prince Ikeokwu Nwaokugha Abuja.
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