Amaechi, The End Matters Most

Crying Out Loud (COL), Rivers State is falling into serious environmental chaos, even though the residents are calm and peace loving. The state is falling into chaos because utopia has been refused to be achieved. What’s happening with the Ada-George Wimpey road? That place is an eyesore since 2008, likewise many other places. Refuse management is still in dungeon. Port Harcourt is not the entire Rivers State. Much work may be going on in this place, but majority parts of Rivers State are yet to feel the dividends of the government. This shows that injecting a healthy dose of realism into things in the state lacks serious change, even though there have been attempts.

Vehicular movement has not been increased upon the decision of banning okada from the streets of Port Harcourt and demolition of fences and expensive and expansive buildings. It is not about ripping up and relaying kilometres of roads, but on sustainability. Our state needs healing!

We are not sneering the government of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, we are encouraging that the state should stop being like one emerging from the darkness. We are just registering our opinion, because we have seen the full detail of clumsiness, hence we encourage.

The government has refused to effect on the quality of life of the ordinary Rivers resident. This notion shows no encouraging performance, no matter what other people may have contrarily. The people need visible improvement in lure of empty public-speaking gush.

The government has not made itself clear to convince us on the things of governance, but the residents have made themselves very clear. The government has only resorted to lionise every little change it says it made, while we cannot see anything. We are waiting for lasting change. Governance should go beyond building roads, clinics, supply of buses and what not, for the umpteenth time, without sustaining them.

Roads are supposed to last a long time, but what we have got in Rivers State are roads that get spoilt as soon as they are built, so do everything we heard were built. Nothing is taking a consistent stand when it comes to infrastructure.

“Did Odili not build roads and bridges? Wasn’t Odili that built the Eastern Bye pass? Did he not build a new Government House and BMS Hospital? Did he not start off Omoku Power Station? Did he not reactivate rail transport in Rivers State? If with all these he is still seen as a corrupt, thieving politician, I don’t see what Amaechi has done to deserve anything beyond cautious optimism at this stage. The fact is, at this stage in Odili’s term, he was likely achieving the same thing Amaechi is doing now. The key is seeing how this is kept up and followed through. “Initial gra gra doesn’t mean anything if it is not consistently maintained in the long run,” said somebody.

It is with a deep sense of homesickness that Nigerian leaders start well, but derail along the line. They see the beginning as what matters most, but to us, it is the end that matters most. We are just cautiously hopeful Amaechi will continue to work, but from our periscope, nothing more.

This government should revitalise its lost integrity and focus. Amaechi should sieve weak minded individuals who have caused a great deal of the mess in his government. Amaechi should learn from the western world he travels a lot that roads and bridges and other infrastructure that experience heavy traffic tend to show wear and tear after the first couple of weeks. But they are typically repaired after the first winter.

The Rivers contractors should help by making sure that materials used in the construction of the roads were not substandard.

The government should make sure that the built roads are attended to every time, not only in the ‘next administration.’ Patching of roads alone cannot sustain the roads, they need total repairs. Experts say that well built roads can last about 25 years or more. Is this true in Rivers State?

Amaechi should start now to revisit all the projects he said that his administration had embarked on. Some might need some changes, as the roads desperately need repairs or renovation of all sorts. The demolished and rebuilt drainage systems, clinics, schools and roads should be revisited. His tenure would soon end, he should know that those who today are benefitting from him were the people that never believed he would be governor when it mattered most. Can they also be ready to defend him if any time comes? No one is perfect, although some think they are infallible. It is only those who love him that will tell him the truth. Some day, the truth of today will prevail.

The case of a governor in the South south should serve as an enough reminder. He should not leave a state that is falling apart to another administration. A solid project is not known by how many millions that were used in building them, but how solid they are. Millions of dollars of the people’s money should stop going down the drains without any sign of relief in sight. Amaechi should watch spending more and more, let whatever that would be done be done right. We need leaders who will lead us fine and not leaders who preach with the voice of men of God, even when they display some obvious failings.

•Odimegwu Onwumere wrote in from Rivers State, Nigeria.