By Austin Ogwuda
THE major problem bedeviling this country is not only how to survive the harsh economic crunch, insecurity and the rest but the issue of trust deficit.
Our leaders will introduce policies unfavorable to the teeming masses and ask them to belt up and be patient but on their part, are hypocritical.
One may ask is there anything wrong with policies and programmes designed to benefit the governed in the long term like the oil subsidy?
No, but there is a general apathy, skeptical approach due to some level of insincerity on the part of the leadership in the past, leading to trust deficit.
This is a country where a good number of people are wallowing in abject poverty and are still asked to belt up whereas the upper class are living in opulence and refused to cut down as well.
The resultant effect is: trust deficit.
I laugh when some people point accusing fingers complaining of lack of patriotism, accusing opposition of bias, have you pondered to ask the following questions?
Is the leadership transparent and accountable, ready to open the books for public scrutiny?
Is the leadership merely playing to the gallery to score cheap political gain?
Is it justified in introducing such measures in the first place without carrying the people around?
So why crucify concerned Nigerians who raise eye brows or ask critical questions, seeking for proper accountability.
And this is the mandate of The Town Hall – to remain apolytical and speak truth to power always when the need arises and to also recognize positive steps taken or significant impacts provided by the leadership to the citizenry.
In this same vein, as the citizens demand for accountability from the leadership, The Town Hall will also zero on them to reciprocate by becoming responsible citizens, by playing their own part.
This Reporter has been watching the new sheriff in town from afar.
Yes it is too early in the day to score him. But it must be pointed out here, whether you like him or not, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has hit the ground running, walking the talk.
But how far the 60- year- old Governor will sustain the tempo is left for future assessment.
Last week, the governor vowed not to commission any project not executed to specifications or shoddily done.
That was a commitment!
According to him, “we are considering the Transition Committee’s Report and there are things that we can do for Deltans that they will appreciate and we are already working on those things.
“In the transition Committee’s Report, there are short term, medium term and long term reports which we are also studying to see what we can do.
“That is why I am going round to inspect projects. I know the ones that we can inaugurate. We can’t rush to inaugurate projects that are not properly executed.
“We will inaugurate projects that are executed according to specification so that when people see such projects, they will indeed know that we have inaugurated well executed projects”
….. Walking the talk
And there came on Monday this week Governor Oborevwori swung into action, proving that he is not an arm chair governor signing approvals without physical confirmation.
He went tough and ordered the demolition of all buildings erected along waterways in the State.
He gave the order during an inspection tour of Phases I and II of the Warri/Effurun Storm Water Control Projects in Warri South and Uvwie local government areas of the State.
He noted that there is no place in the world where people are allowed to erect buildings on waterways.
Officials of the State Ministries of Housing, Works and Lands were given marching order to identify and pull down such buildings to enable free flow of water on natural water ways.
Said he, “we started the inspection with Phase ll of the storm water drainage project being handled by CCECC.
“They have five catchment areas. We have looked at their works and realised that they have done a lot as they have gone very far.
“They have some obstacles and we also looked at what is causing the obstacles and got to know that there are some buildings on natural water ways, which is causing obstructions and slowing down the spate of work being done by the construction firm.
“We also assured the contractors that all the buildings on the water ways, both in phase l and phase ll, will be brought down by the State Government to enable them finish their work seamlessly.
“They have assured us that they need 21 days for some of the areas they have opened, that are causing gridlock, to be properly fixed and the drainage crossing Airport Road by Fani Kayode was cast on Saturday and they need about 19 days for that area to be fixed also.
“On Phase l of the project”, he went on, “there are a lot of buildings on the water ways and l have called on the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Works to liaise with the Ministry of Lands to see how those buildings on water ways can be brought down to enable the construction firm have unfettered access to do their work”.
At Warri City Stadium, the Governor expressed dissatisfaction with the work done by the contractor.
According to him “l came here to see what the contractor handling the project has done and l am not too satisfied with what the contractor has done.
“But the contractor said what they are doing is according to the scope of the contract awarded to them. So, we are going to look at the contract and see what can be done to ensure speedy and quality delivery of the project.
“Some of the areas that are not properly scoped will be rescoped. We want the best for Warri and this is the Warri City Stadium”.
Good start indeed but will he continue in this stride with the will power to carry out certain ‘difficult’ decisions without telling the bulldozer operator “no leave that particular building it belongs to my political godfather?
Time will certainly tell.