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Ayakoromo Bridge, One Abandoned Project Too Many

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By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi

Talking about the theory of value judgment, media professionals are of the view that ‘the function of the press is very high, almost holy and to misstate or suppress information is a breach of trust.

Moral philosophers, on their part, are also worried over the issue of standards for evaluating leadership performances. Some prefer the purpose of action shown in the ethical theories. Others prefer the nature of action to its purpose. Some still prefer the usefulness of action. Whereas, the rest talk about the relevance of duty performed by a leader to the subjects.

In line with the above arguments, Deltans, especially this author, without any shadow of a doubt, believe that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has done fairly well when it comes to infrastructural provisions in the state. This is a peripheral fact which cannot be suppressed or misstated.

However, when one goes beyond this fact, and brings into view the governor’s other critical leadership performance (or is it judgement) and juxtaposes the same with a recently unravelled shoddy state of affairs in the Ayakromo community, Burutu Local Government Area of the state, situating Okowa’s leadership assessment in the past seven years becomes not only complicated but an onerous task.

Aside from the fact that the referenced sleepy but egalitarian community is conspicuously laced with portraits of neglect and pictures of socioeconomic deprivations with no state government’s presence save for the now near-abandoned bridge that took two different administrations—Emmanuel Uduaghan (2007- 2015) and Okowa May 2015 till date—in Delta state over nine years to construct. That the yet-to-be-completed Ayakromo Link Bridge is not up to a kilometre says something unpleasant.

Further qualifying the condition of the Ayakromo community as a contradiction of sorts and a reality that all Deltans of goodwill, including Okowa,  must worry about is the sad awareness that the bridge, which was awarded in 2013 by the Uduaghan-led administration to link several communities in Burutu LGA and other communities in the adjourning local governments within the coastal part of the state, was never starved of budgetary allocation.

Why this piece is particularly concerned about the abandonment of the bridge is that the state governor, Okowa, had at different times made public declarations that this is one of the projects that must be completed during his administration.

For instance, when the administration learnt in January 2020 that the Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative and Ayakoromo youths planned a protest against the ‘abandonment’ of the bridge, the Okowa-led administration, through the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, in a statement in Asaba, stated that the state leadership was committed to the completion of road projects it has embarked on.

It added that the Ayakoromo bridge project had not been abandoned and, therefore, urged the groups to shun their planned protest. The statement also noted that the state government had already made provisions for the completion of the bridge in the 2020 budget and that it was desirous of completing the project.

Again, six months after that statement, precisely in June 2020, the Delta State Government in a similar style assured that the Ayakoromo Bridge would be vigorously executed as a top priority project. This time around, the Commissioner for Works, Chief James Aguoye, made the disclosure in Ayakoromo while speaking to newsmen.

Aguoye, according to media reports, said that the project had a budgetary provision of N1 billion in the 2020 budget. The Commissioner added that the project would be up-scaled in 2021.

In January 2022, after the first Executive Council meeting, which was presided over by Governor Okowa, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, announced that the Delta State government has recently approved an upward review of the contract cost of the Ayakoromo Bridge project from N6 billion to N10.5 billion, noting that the review was necessary as a result of present economic realities in the country.

The underlying objective of this piece is not to chastise any individual or group, but to draw the attention of the Okowa-led government to this mess, in ways that will assist him to perform the traditional but universal responsibility of provision of economic and infrastructural succour to the citizenry, which the instrumentality of participatory democracy and election of leaders confers on him.

As an incentive, it is important that a new contractor is appointed backed with adequate funds, superior technical skills and experience to replace the current contractor, who obviously lacks the wherewithal to complete the bridge.

Government must give the desired new lease of life and satisfactory service/governance to the people of the community. Above all, the state government must design more creative and development-focused ways to holistically serve and save Deltans.

Most importantly, the state government must not fail to remember that the Bobougbene community and its environs in Burutu LGA are reputed for the production of palm oil in commercial quantity and supply of same to Warri metropolis and Okwuagbe markets in Ugheli-South LGA.

The bridge when completed will provide easy access to these markets.  This is a very important reason why the state must pay disciplined attention to that project. It must not for any reason be abandoned.

Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi of Social and Economic Justice Advocacy writes from Lagos; 08032725374

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NDDC: When Public Policy and Public Good Combine To Bring Development

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Chiedu Ebie NDDC Chairman

By Jerome-Mario Utomi

Public policy, going by experts’ definition, is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs and encompasses what the government does, or does not do to solve a problem in society.

Correspondingly, policymaking and problem-solving are what citizens expect from their elected and appointed government representatives once they have taken office, and are entrusted with serving their constituency.

Given the foregoing,  developing public policy decisions for the good of those in, and on behalf of those outside the government (public) has become not only a culture but vital for public officers and all levels of government — municipal, state, and federal Ministries, Parastatals, Commissions and agencies among others. They met this culture when they joined the service, guided by the culture while in service and ultimately transferred this culture to their successors in office.  It is imperative to note that the root of public policy in our nation, just as in other parts of the world, is deep and there is something massive and positive about it.

A veritable example is the people-oriented and sustained development-minded actions and policies of the Mr Chiedu Ebie-led Governing Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), a federal government agency established by former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000, with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Upon inauguration in November 2023, the NDDC board, to the admiration of all stakeholders, came up with well-thought-out initiatives and projects. Prominent among these projects, programmes and initiatives are the building of partnerships, lighting up the region, initiating sustainable livelihood, improving youth capacity and skills base, executing efficient and cost-effective projects, including Project Hope for Renewed Hope, reducing carbon emission, and improving peace and security.

While the above initiatives and policies remain admirable, there is another policy by the Governing Board and Management that this piece would underline as something massive and positive.

Some months ago, the Commission’s leadership, during the presentation of its N1.91 trillion 2024 budget to the Senate Committee on NDDC, emphasized priorities such as security, job creation, youth and women empowerment, social welfare, education and the profound initiative to raise N1 trillion, from development and commercial banks, for the completion of 1,006 legacy projects spread across the region. These projects were reportedly in specific areas such as roads, bridges, electricity, schools, hospitals, shore protection and reclamation, among others.

Aside from the overt awareness that when abandoned projects are completed and put into use, it saves the nation from wastage, boosts national assets and promotes socio-economic development of the people, region and the nation in general, there are, however, other covert reasons that render this present development as both newsy and commendable. Students of history is familiar with the origin of project abandonment and neglect of national assets in Nigeria and the politics that fuel this will agree that the NDDC governing board and management are on the path to ending an ugly ‘culture’ that has over the years held down the region’s development.

If this policy framework is achieved as envisaged, it is abundantly clear that future historians and, of course, development professionals shall refer to the present board and management as a bunch that restored new order in the region and hope to the people. Beyond what future historians may say, there is equally the need to highlight why this piece is fixated on NDDC’s departure from the old order, and at the very moment on a mission to tackle a challenge that has not only become a culture of a sort but has its origin deeply rooted in history that predates the nation’s independence in October 1960.

Beginning with the historical undertone as to why Nigerians and successive leaderships in the country daily demonstrate a lackadaisical attitude towards national assets and see nothing wrong with project desertion, history has it that during colonial rule, Nigerians developed the anti-colonial belief that public property is no man’s property. This belief, according to reports, was intended to fight colonialism but it continued after independence and brought insensitivity to government property as well as ineptitude, nepotism, neglect of duty, etc.; it gravely explains as to the reckless way in which government property and projects are handled.

Indeed, what the above information tells us is that both project abandonment and public asset neglect in the country are two striking human tragedies, and the pain they inflict on the nation is deepened by the realisation that they were avoidable.

Beyond this understanding, there are reasons to believe that this piece is not alone in the understanding that NDDC leadership is doing something positively new.

A few days ago, the Pan Niger Delta Development Forum, PANDEF, commended the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for its commitment to transparency, accountability, and infrastructure development in the region.

Giving the commendation during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the umbrella organization of Niger Delta people at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, PANDEF’s National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, lauded the Commission’s leadership, describing it as visionary and result-driven.

His words: “We have never seen a leadership team like this, and we thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support. Your interventions in infrastructure, particularly the Benin-Ore Road and the Light Up Niger Delta initiative, are commendable. Your youth development programmes are also making a significant impact.”

He further assured the Commission of PANDEF’s continued collaboration, reiterating the group’s role as the voice of the Niger Delta people in the civic space:  “We believe in working closely with you and reaffirm our support for your administration. We urge Mr. President, the governors, and other stakeholders to provide you with the necessary tools to succeed,” he concluded.

No doubt, some books teach how to build a house, how to repair an engine and how to write a book, but there are no codified books on how to build a region, society or nation. Conversely, nation-building, in my view, depends on ceaseless creative and far-reaching public policies designed and implemented by well-forsighted leaders- a case in point is the NDDC’s resolve to complete abandoned projects that presently litter its mandate states.

This author,  therefore, believes that closing ranks to learn from NDDC’s latest template is not only important but eminently desirable for other agencies and Commissions in the country as “we cannot continue to do one thing repeatedly and be expecting a different result-or tackling our societal challenges with the same mentality used when the problems were created”

Finally, while it is obvious that it is a season of public good for the Niger Delta region and its people, for me, the positive public policies so far generated by the Governing Board/Management of NDDC align with the famous words of Martin Luther King Jnr: “Human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability but is achieved through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be coworkers with God”

Utomi, a media specialist, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached via [email protected]/08032725374

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Familiar Challenges Likely to Feature in SONA 2025 – Can the President Deliver?

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MRI Software

By Waldo Marcus

South Africans will be watching this week’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) to see if the government’s long-promised structural reforms will finally be fast-tracked to drive much-needed economic growth. They will also be assessing how the president balances a number of tightropes including concerns that some of the GNU partners have with the Expropriation Bill, NHI and the BELA Act, local government failures including a rapidly approaching water crisis, mixed with global tensions.

Past SONAs have focused on a familiar litany of issues: lacklustre economic growth, high unemployment, failing infrastructure, poor service delivery and a regulatory environment which is not conducive to economic growth. There is little expectation that this year will be any different with many of the same platitudes about a commitment to growing the economy likely be dusted off again.

What will be different this time around is that the president will be balancing an ever more complex environment. Positivity around the GNU has waned with policy differences starting to appear. While the energy crisis has been partially addressed, water is a looming catastrophe. South Africa’s relationship with its largest trading partner is in the spotlight with a threat of tariffs from the United States. Then there are diplomatic issues one being how South Africa plans to extricate its peacekeeping troops from Rwanda.

Locally, the president is under pressure to facilitate a more business-friendly environment. The IMF says South Africa has one of the most restrictive business environments globally. It has recommended a raft of reforms to enhance the country’s business environment, bolster governance, improve labour market flexibility, facilitate trade and achieve the country’s climate goals. The IMF calculates that South Africa could add 1.8% to its growth rate if it can get corruption under control, improve the regulatory and business environment and make government more effective.

The country has also come in for criticism for its competition regulations with Stuart Theobald, chair of research-led consultancy firm Krutham pointing out in a recent Business Day editorial that the government does not appreciate how damaging our competition authorities are to foreign investment and growth. He says South Africa urgently needs to revisit the principles and objectives of how competition is regulated. Large property asset sales are already being slowed due to the Competition Commission’s involvement.

Both national, provincial and local governments need to become more efficient and effective. Operation Vulindlela is an initiative spearheaded by the president and the National Treasury to speed up reforms. Local government in the form of municipalities plays an important role in providing communities with essential services including clean water, proper sanitation, reliable electricity, effective waste management and well-maintained roads and municipal infrastructure.

Of concern is the trend of failing municipalities. According to the Auditor-General’s latest local government and audit outcomes report, many municipalities continue to receive poor audit outcomes with only 13% obtaining clean audits. This has triggered a cycle of low collection rates across municipalities as ratepayers demand value for money but fail to see good governance and leadership delivering on promises. Collectively, municipalities owe Eskom more than R109 billion, putting the power utility under pressure.

Property values in poorly run municipalities typically decline. Well-run municipalities that have maintained their public infrastructure, including well-maintained and safe public areas, on the other hand, will ensure that those areas remain sought after by property investors, tenants and businesses.

The president is very aware that the economy pays a heavy price for the high unemployment rate with less personal tax available to be collected, less consumer spending taking place and sluggish GDP growth.

As far as the property industry is concerned, a robust and secure job market is essential for the long-term health of the residential rental market and to keep vacancies low. Stats SA’s employment survey reveals that the unemployment rate increased in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 32.1% from 31.9% in the fourth quarter. The formal sector lost 128 000 jobs with further job losses expected in agriculture, mining and manufacturing in 2025.

A new study by speciality research publisher Taylor & Francis revealed that none of the eight largest metros in South Africa have experienced appreciable employment growth in manufacturing and tradable goods.

An issue that the president will likely touch on in the SONA is reporting on what the government is doing to reduce logistics constraints and ensure improved efficiencies at Transnet. He may also touch on the government’s draft National State Enterprise Bill which proposes the creation of a centralised holding company to oversee state-owned enterprises. Critics of the bill have pointed out that state-owned enterprises such as Eskom and Transnet are already owned by a centralised agency which hasn’t improved their efficiency or competency and that the proposed bill will simply add another layer of bureaucratic bloat.

The annual SONA is often described as bland. In a constrained fiscal space, there is little expectation that this year’s address will deliver anything more exciting. In a perfect world, President Ramaphosa would be announcing a way forward that includes improved service delivery, more efficient local government, a plan to address the water crisis, and the implementation of a less restrictive regulatory environment while at the same time providing assurance to the country’s major trading partners and investors that their needs were also being taken into consideration.

Waldo Marcus is a Director at TPN from MRI Software

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Who Says Value Deals Are Only for December?

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Ever noticed how brands bombard you with discounts in November and December? Then January rolls around, and suddenly, it’s full price everywhere—right when your wallet needs some tender loving care the most.

Let’s face it: The first three months of the new year is for financial recovery. School fees are due, rent is knocking, and that December salary seems to have vanished faster than your New Year’s resolutions. But here’s the real question: Why should amazing deals only happen towards the end of the year?

While other brands are busy recovering from their year-end spending, GOtv is here saying, “Hold up—let’s make the new year interesting.” Here’s a deal that makes actual sense when your pocket needs it most: Step Up Once, Get Twice the Entertainment.

Here’s how the offer works: When you subscribe to a package higher than your current one, GOtv automatically upgrades you to the next tier for free. That means if you’re on Jinja, pay for Jolli and enjoy Max; if you’re on Jolli, pay for Max and enjoy Supa; and if you’re on Max, pay for Supa and enjoy Supa Plus.

Why This Deal Is a Game-Changer

Perfect for The New Year Blues: The festivities are over, and everyone’s indoors more, making this the ideal time for quality entertainment.

Family Time Is Back on Track: With the kids back to school and routines resuming, this deal ensures your family has more options and great shows to bond over after a long day.

Smart Financial Choice: Let’s be honest—January is about budgeting smarter, and this offer gives you maximum value for less.

While others are nursing their financial December hangovers, you could be levelling up your home entertainment, making a wise money move, and creating meaningful family moments.

So, what are you waiting for? Step up now to unlock a world of exciting and entertaining programs. To upgrade, subscribe, or reconnect, simply download the MyGOtv app or dial *288#. To catch up and for on-the-go viewing, don’t forget to download the GOtv Stream App and enjoy your favourite shows anytime, anywhere.

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