Tina Amanda
The Civil Right Council, Rivers State has urged the state government to reconsider its decisions on physical construction and infrastructure development, and invest more on human capital development.
State Coordinator of the Council, Arinze Robinson, who stated this to journalists in Port Harcourt, said it will be appropriate if the government concentrated on the small geographical location of the state in the face of rising poverty and poor standard of living of Rivers people.
He explained that with the rate of unemployment which has risen to over 43 per cent and the rising youth population, it is expected that government would invest in human capital development, especially for its youth population, and create an enabling environment for job creation and support for Medium and small scale businesses.
“We are all aware of the recent announcement by the Governor of Rivers State to embark on the construction of the 11th and 12th flyovers in River’s state and the subsequent signing of the contracts.
“The said flyovers are to be located at Obio Akpor LGA metropolis, precisely at Rumuokwuta Roundabout and Location junction by Adageorge. The two flyovers will be among the latest of such development efforts of the Rivers State government after awarding 10 flyovers in the capital city of the state alone, most of which are still under construction.
“While physical constructions and infrastructural development are plausible, we consider the huge resources invested in them too massive and concentrated in the small geographical location of the state in the face of rising poverty and poor standard of living of Rivers people.
“There are also capital budget provisions in the health and education sectors without funding, hence a perpetual recurring of these projects in the yearly budget provision of the state. While flyovers are good for the aesthetics, an undue focus on the state capital would escalate urban-rural migration thus leading to more infrastructural mastication and more crimes”.
Robinson stressed that in less than ten months the Wike-led administration in the state will be handing over with doubt if the flyover projects will be completed and thus the menace of abandoned projects in the wake of the departure of the current administration is inevitable.
“We hereby, advise the state government to reconsider further Flyover projects and consider investments in human capital development and other economic ventures that will bring about the employment of the teeming jobless youths of the state. If the huge investments made on the flyovers are deployed in providing gainful investments in building industries and creating employment, we believe that this will reduce insecurity in the state as more hands will be employed reducing the crime rate.
“If, however, the state government feels the strong need to embark on more construction, we demand that Government carry out the following.
“Social and Environment Impacts Assessment of the area in question
The Government of Rivers State must as a matter of urgency gets to discussion with the community leaders, residents, and landlords of the affected places to understand their stance on the conceived projects.
“The Government of Rivers State must, as a matter of fact, think of other avenues or means of dualizing the road which will cause fewer hardships for commuters and others who ply that road”.
He however expressed displeasure on the unending ASUU strike and condemns the lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Government in resolving the Labour crisis, describing it as one of the many insensitivities of the current government on the plight of citizens.
“No serious leadership anywhere in the world will allow the universities to be shut down indefinitely without taking proactive steps to resolve whatever is the cause of the standoff.
“The CRC stands with ASUU in this trying moment while advising them to stand strong in their demands. We urge all labour organizations and all progressives to stand with ASUU to drive home our Message, and their demands and compel the government to meet the demands of the striking ASUU workers to enable the Universities to reopen. We shall continue to participate in popular advocacy towards ensuring that the government meets the demands of the ASUU workers”.
