| Governor Odili Must Explain |
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| Friday, 01 September 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As the rat race that is aptly couched as the Nigerian presidential race moves into top gear, politicians, real and imagined, sycophants, political gladiators, professional political pretenders, (PPP), all and sundry, position themselves to change their address to Aso Rock, come May 29, 2007. Of late, one of the names being heaved around as a possible presidential candidate is that of Dr. Peter Odili, the two-term People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governor of Rivers State. For this pediatric doctor transposed into a politician there are more questions than answers and more intrigues than explanations. For Odili from the minority ethnic group of Ndoni, becoming the governor of a state with very large and powerful ethnic groups such as the Kalabaris, Ogonis, Ikwerres, Wakirikas, Ijaws, etc, is indeed, a rare opportunity most men would cherish and ensure it counts. But all that has counted in Rivers State are wasted years of opportunity to transform the state into a well-developed state, a model of efficiency and good governance. Unable, in large, to marshal the superfluity of resources allocated from the federal coffers and generated within to exhaustively develop the state, any well-discerning observer would agree that his gross output in two takings is sobering and painfully dispiriting. Rather than engage in genuine projects for the proper development of the state, what the administration has done is to recycle, repackage and resell white elephant projects that have gulped the peoples’ money and become a conduit for the pilfering of state funds into private accounts. The gas turbine project is one of such white elephant endeavors meant to accord the people of the state some respite from the constant power failure. But in spite of the expenditure of N40 billion, the problem continues unabated. To compound matters, the state of healthcare (in the state) remains a shadow of its former glory. The flagship hospital, Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, seven years into Odili’s administration is in serious need of attention with conditions inimical to the prevention and cure of any disease, even a common cold. Ordinary medical equipments are hardly in store and sometimes patients and their families are asked to provide those equipments. In these times of medical revolution and discoveries, the state is in dare need of basic amenities such as portable water and citizens still die from water borne diseases, cholera and gastro-enteritis. It is a vexing point that Odili, a medical doctor, with well more than average knowledge of the importance of meaningful investment in healthcare has not made these a matter of state priority. And the poor state of education does not offer consolation to anyone in search of a redeeming quality in this administration; it remains a constant reminder of the wastage of the last seven years. And that is why it is very difficult for anyone to understand the recent announcement that the administration was issuing free meals to students while schools lack chairs, qualified teachers, books, lab equipments, buildings, etc. Here is an interesting point; well-fed students attending schools with no books, no chairs, no buildings and lab equipments, but at the end, the state will have an abundance of well-fed students with no education. Is that Odili’s idea of quality education? Is that what he intends to do for the country; feed students and send them to empty campuses? When one takes a critical view of the opportunities that abound in the state, the verdict becomes very clear; that Odili has no reason to fail as the governor of the richest state in the union given the enormity of resources at his disposal. But he has and this fact was recently the subject of criticism by some prominent citizens of the state who contradicted the claimed towering gallantry of the governor, dismissing it as illusionary. And they are right; with more than $7 billion (USD) allocation, thus far, the physical, structural, social, political and economic development of the state leaves much to be desired and certainly pales in comparison when juxtaposed with the said sum. Odili must explain what he has done with this sum? Where is it? Who has it and on what projects were they spent? Why should a state with an abundance of resources suffer the affliction of bad roads, poorly equipped hospitals, schools, etc? With such a staggering sum that some African countries can only dream of, Rivers State ought to have, figuratively speaking, streets of gold with the proverbial money trees lining the streets. But this is not the case as Port-Harcourt, the so-called Garden City remains a garbage city with refuge dumped at every allowable space. The largest city in the south-south and oil hub of the nation is in dare need of a viable drainage system to alleviate flooding during heavy rains, roads are in pathetic conditions and the general layout of structures continues to violate the city’s master plan. It is true that Odili has embarked on a massive road construction project with only a few months left; but the poor quality of the roads and the suspect timing leave one to wonder whether this hurried effort is not another avenue to redirect state funds into private accounts. Besides, the so-called contractors are all sons and daughters of prominent politicians in Abuja, if not the politicians themselves. As stated in the Bible, “to whom much is given much is expected.” But “much” is hardly a word to describe Odili’s tenure and this is the sad irony of the last seven years. On the grand scale, it appears that Odili is more of a philanthropic governor than he is an action governor. In recent times, he has been very generous with the peoples’ money. A good friend who recently returned from Port-Harcourt on a faculty tour of Nigeria had this to say, “Gov. Odili has been sharing the money well amongst the politicians in the state. Everyone is happy in Rivers State.” And sharing he has done aplenty with members of the state House of Assembly, commissioners, party big wigs, etc. But regrettably, “everyone” in the above statement is not a reference to the ordinary citizens of the state who have hardly seen the dividends of democracy in the last seven years. Those who have benefited from Rivers State money are either politicians or foreigners who in large have contributed little to the development of the state. Here is an example; In 2002, when the Ghanaian national soccer team fell to the Super Eagles by a margin of 0-3 in a World Cup qualifier at the Port-Harcourt Liberation Stadium, the visitors were rewarded a goodly sum of $25,000 for a losing effort and the victors each given a plot of land in the plush New GRA elitist preserve of the city. This was a time when schools and hospitals in the state lacked basic equipments and salaries of state workers delayed. It was this same oil governor who offered a N5 million reward to anyone who had information leading to the arrest of the killer(s) of an American oil worker. Hitherto, a similar offer had never been made to anyone with information leading to the arrest of those who murder innocent Nigerians on a daily basis right under the nose of the governor in Port-Harcourt, the seat of government. Odili’s “Father Christmas” spirit was once again witnessed when he gave millions of naira to families of the victims of the recent December 10, 2005 Sosoliso plane crash in Port-Harcourt. While this is a commendable gesture, it would have been equally commendable if families of ordinary citizens who die on the poor state roads and waterways were also compensated in this manner or those whose houses were ordered bulldozed by Odili under the pretense of beautifying Port-Harcourt were duly compensated. Of late, much of the state’s money has gone to militants in the Niger Delta who take hostages in return for money. One of the payoffs has been reported to be in the thirty-something millions. All these unwholesome wastages are amply compounded by the recent purchases of two brand new jets costing the state more than $50 million. The administration in defense of the purchases noted that one of the aircrafts would be used as transportation for state officers, saving the state from paying high ticket cost of traveling. It will be interesting to know what happens to the jet when he leaves office. The other, it was stated, would be used as an air ambulance to airlift Riverians in need of medical treatment within the country or overseas. Short of being a laughing point, it's a year now since the jets have been purchased and it is very doubtful that any ordinary citizen of Rivers has been airlifted to seek medical attention overseas. Which Western country will accord such an ordinary citizen a visa? Have Odili and his men thought about this challenge? And most importantly, who will pay for that oversea medical trip, the broke ordinary citizen? In fact, such a justification is an outright indictment of Odili’s performance as it erodes confidence in the abilities and capabilities of the state-owned medical facilities seven years and billions of dollars later. Beyond the shores of Rivers, Odili, also has a vitiating factor, credibility problem, if you will, that may encumber his herald ascension to the presidency as a south-south candidate; his sanctimonious and pharisaic role in the botched third term imbroglio. When the third term idea first broached, the governor was inimical to it, but when it appeared that Aso Rock was taking note of his insolence, he adopted a chameleonic disposition, true to type, and was reported as saying that he would crawl to Abuja to beg the president to run for a third term. A governor crawling to Abuja in spite of two brand new jets acquired by the state? What a spectacle. But beyond the idiocy of such a painful (on the knees) preposition, there is something to be said about principles and convictions, which in Nigeria, one must understand, are easily exchanged for gratuitous fulfillments. On the strength of this, Odili cannot and does not have the moral mien to contest the presidency, besides, who wants a crawling president with ramshackle knees? Seemingly, the instructive import of a famous Rivers proverb may be Odili’s undoing as it relates to his presidential ambition. It states; “If a man promises to give you fish to eat, you should look at the one on his plate to have a good idea of the kind of fish to expect before wetting your appetite.” Odili is promising to give Nigerians quality leadership, but we should take a look at the one he has given the people of Rivers and determine his ability to lead the nation. The paramount questions continue to be; has he performed exceedingly well, did he meet the expectations of the people of Rivers and what has he done with billions of dollars in the last seven years? Indeed, Governor Odili must explain. ___________________________
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Posted by Robot| 01.09.2006 13:16