The dreams of Benin River Coastal communities .To many people, there are different reasons why our communities are not developed, some believe is as a result of insensitive and irresponsible leadership, others believe is traceable to gullible and poor follower ship ,why another school of thought posits that the sordid state of our communities is a blend of the two factors mentioned above. Whatever the argument as to the reason why we are Where we are today boils down to What has happened to our behavior as a people. What has happened to our societal and moral values,our ideals,norms and noble cultural cleavages. Our sense of value has degenerated so much so that we no longer see any thing wrong with the people at the helms of affairs in our communities and polity so long we are able to access the crumbs that fall from the masters table. As a little boy growing up in the in village, I observed that one of the major problems confronting our oil rich coastal communities was unavailability of portable water,we were used to fetching colorful and dirty water from Wells and drains, sometimes my parents would allow the water to settle down in order to fitter it for use. when ever it was raining we would all be rejoicing because such a time afforded us the opportunity to, at least get some clean water for domestic use. Days have gone,weeks have gone,months have gone,years have gone,decades haves gone we are still Where we were then,no drinkable water in our villages, we still send for sachet and bottled water from town because we do not have portable water. Ironically, our communities host tens of hundreds of oil Wells with nothing to show for it. What about electricity, how many of our communities can boast of light?.how ridiculous, that some of these communities are surrounded by flow stations with 24 hours electricity. We have seen cases Where our ijaw neighbors who hold the same right and privilege with us as co-host communities to oil companies enjoy some of these benefits. What then could be responsible for the comatose state of our communities? is it that our self acclaimed leaders are not educated enough to tackle these oil companies which have the corporate social responsibility to provide projects and programs of socio economic benefits to their host communities? How long do we continue to pretend that all is well,when things have fallen apart. You are a community Rep for 25 years,perhaps, from the youth level to the trust level with no development in your community. would you say you are a failed or successful leader? You hijacked projects meant for community development and have refused to execute it to specification or misappropriated and cornered the contract sum or used sub standard materials. would you say you are a failed or successful leader? you were selected into appointive or elective position to represent your community without any body raising eye brow and your supposed tenure of office has expired and you refuse to step down because you have the wherewithal to prosecute any legal case that might ensue or a gang of hooligans to manhandle or Lynch any body that challenges your action On the other hand,at some point we could be seen as the bane of our development, we as followers have paid too much lip service and have indulged in eye service for too long,our choice of candidate is often beclouded by sentiments and most times, perhaps, by ignorance on our part.we seem to be comfortable with the state of things. We dont want to be on the bad list of these people, we want to be seen as very loyal and obedient to them.Dont get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being loyal to someone or being a follower,infact,a good follower makes a good leader,but What we are saying is that we must thread with caution, our loyalty, instead should be given to a leader who means well for our people and not those responsible for the community s backwardness. No wonder Thomas Jefferson said rebellion to tyrants is an obedience to God. we need to take a stand and agree that we want a change, it doesnt matter how long it will take,its more important to know Where are going than to see how quick we can get there. lets try and look at things not as they are but as they should be,change they say is the only constant thing, change is mobile, it needs someone to push it,for it to take place. It is your right to demand good governance in your communities, local government,State and the Country at large. let us not play politics of stomach infrastructure but that of value and ideology. If we dont take the risk of failing, we may never get the opportunity to succeed. We know bringing about positive change is not easy ,its always very difficult and it is often met with stiff resistance from the power that be,but if the desire for change possess us,driven by selflessness and patriotism it will surely come to pass. According to Les Brown shoot for the moon even if you miss it,you will land among the stars. Lets say no to bad leadership, underdevelopment, impunity, modern enslavement and wickedness. Lets vote for men and women of good will and proven integrity into our communities executive positions, local government offices,House of Assembly seats,Governorship seat,National Assembly seats and the presidential seat,not heartless opportunists,stooges,mediocre, people with no will of their own,people with sight but no vision. . Lastly,whether in community oil politics or in the main stream politics, our watchwords should be competence,service and credibility. Elections are around the corner, be wise.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 12:26:51 +0000
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