Dear Compatriots, SELP-HELP:A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TURNAROUND STRATEGY. (An IPASS Wonders Approach) Let me start by saying that development drive is two ways traffic or approaches, but it will amount to doom if we put all our hopes and rely on govt alone. While l strongly believe that lgbide, an oil major producing community in lsoko deserves to be given adequate developmental attention and earn her own share of Democratic dividends and her due entitlement from other govt related agencies like NDDC, and DESOPADEC, it will also be profitable if we all adopt this development strategy: SELF-HELP, to rescue our dear community from development stagnation. We must equally understand that community development includes all strategies, intervention or coordinated activities at the community levels to bring about social and economic development using the two major approaches (The extensive and Service approaches) to develop lgbide while waiting at the govt to roll in their working tools to implement the project approach. The project approach to community development is generally motivated by the govt desires to improve the economic condition in the area. This is therefore characterized by the provisions of infrastructural/social amenities, establishment of agro-allied ventures such as govt farms and rural industries to open up the host communities for development integration. My focus on the subject matter as regard to lgbide development is on the extension and service approaches. (1) The extension approach involves complete direct teaching of the home based improved methods and techniques of farming, healthcare, business development & mgt, and other agro allied business skills and applications to prepare their freedom from financial and unemployment imprisonment. (2) The service approach: this call for active, adequate full participation and initiatives as a massive local involvement to drive the development of our dear lgbide. Both approaches must be ignited and fuelled by adequate committed, true spirit of patriotism, financial supports, individuals contacts, ideas and knowledge of all concerned sons and daughters of the land to provide social amenities such as maternity centers, medical equipments and consumables, pipe borne water, dispensaries, educational materials, job creation through entrepreneurial and empowerment schemes to reposition lgbide to walk her way to restoration. Self-help development as a development option B bailout strategy should be in two ways or angles. That is an object (What) and a process (How). As an object, it should be an induced change for the achievement of our community improvements. As a process, it should be a well tailored and articulated programmes and efforts to support or assist for overall democratic participation in the effective solution range of lgbide development headaches. It is purely a process by which efforts of the people themselves are united with those of govt authorities to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of the communities to integrate them into the life of the nation and enable to contribute fully to national progress. We should also know that the initiatives for the attainment of this process-goal equation are derive from us the individuals, the community, socio-cultural organization, govt institutions, NGOs, advocacy groups, and govt. No doubt, IPASS has married all the approaches listed above to lgbide development course. Govt insensitivity and lackadaisical attitude to the yearning and demand of our community has becomes unbearable and alarming. In my own view, l will encourage us to devout our time to keep pushing, drawing their attention to the agony of our dear lgbide, an oil producing community. It is high time we shun all unproductive and antic development crusade and create an enabling environment devoid of name callings, insulting and bring to the front burner development issues for robust and proper debate. While waiting for govt project approach, pls lets us work as partners to adequately implement the other two approaches (Extension and Service approaches) to bail out lgbide from development stagnation. Thank you. Collins Akpotu OTHIHIWA
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 06:03:34 +0000