For Omisore,Technology plus Infrastructure = Sustainability By Olawale Rasheed The conception of Osun state as just one of those states may soon change following the increasing prospect of a Senator Omisore governorship. The reason is linked to the new mantra been propounded by the Senator that technology plus infrastructure equals environmental sustainability in state governance. Instead of treating infrastructure as unrelated to technology ,the new move is to ensure both interfaces closely and contribute to the achievement of sustainable development . In this context,Senator Omisore regards infrastructure in the wider sense of developmental tools cutting across applicable forms of transportation,water facilities,urban renewal and a whole gamut of structural facilities to aid and facilitate human development. He is thus linking technology application to the fast tracking of infrastructural development that is people driven and people centered. Construction of roads will not be designed as a self enrichment process but as a value for money decisions to open up the rural areas,connect rural and urban centers and boost economic prosperity of the citizens. Thus,proper costing of projects with an eye on value for money is a major focus. Awarding a kilometer of road for one billion naira is PDP candidate considered a criminal act.Borrowing five hundred million per local government to build economically insignificant roads is not going to be repeated. More critically,awarding inflated contracts on federal roads with an eye on self enrichment is in Omisores dictionary an anti people act.A road like Osogbo- Iwo road will receive immediate action because its unmotorable state has destroyed economic life of citizens in eight local governments located along the road. Still on infrastructure,the issue of urban renewal is also on the table. The present policy in that sector is top down and largely anti people,leading to destruction of livelihood of the people. The policy is also not holistic enough as it is characterized by improperly thought out decisions which undermine public support . An urban renewal process that places the people at the center will encourage citizens to determine the direction of the process. The policy adopted by the APC government in Osun state negatively impacted on the people,leaving the larger needs for renewal unattended to. Senator Omisore as an engineer understands the challenge of urban renewal . According to him, demolishing houses and shops is not and cannot be the goal of urban renewal. Pulling down houses for flowers and shoprite amounts to denigration of human development . Osun is a highly urbanized society with attendant city slums, my approach to it is not to inflict hardship on the people but to accept the situation as an opportunity . Yes,opportunity to make the people the tool of the renewal process . Opportunity to create jobs by engagement of artisans in the process. Opportunity to improve standard of living by improving water supply in the inner city ,enhancing environmental hygiene,and restoring the old city. Yes ,I wont take urban renewal as a tool to punish the people. We have travelled widely and we know there is always a downtown transformed into tourist attraction, Omisore said. But there is something very unique about the senators plan on this count- his concept of sustainable development ,linking energy generation to rural farming,water supply and healthy living.Small dams for water supply are also to be equipped to generate electricity through application of modern technology. Rural areas not connected to national grids are to depend on renewable energy which in turn will help in rural farming irrigation and preservation of local health supplies.A totally new conception of local governance is in the oven with capacity to in turn boost local rural economy,improve human developement index and empower the citizenry. Environmental sustainability is likely to be the end result. In a world rapidly moving towards green economy ,Omisore envisages an Osun state in which modern technology application is driven by sustainability consideration in all facets. Put the other way ,new developmental projects are based on strict environmental impact assessment while putting the social question at the center above all other consideration . The impact of governmental action on the people and by extension the environment is going to be a principal consideration . The bottom line of the preceding includes but not limited to the following- that the Omisore alternative does not consider technology and infrastructural development as an end on their own but rather as tools to enrich human lives by enforcing environmental sustainability .The people must be at the heart of development. In effect,an Omisore governorship will proactively integrate the people into developmental programmes,avoid top down decisions in urban and infrastructural projects,enforce a robust consultative paradigm as opposed to current authoritarian outlook ,avoid willful inflicting of hardship on the citizens,explore options like modernization before taken decisions on demolitions and ensure that sustainability issues are embraced by all stakeholders. Omisores vast experience in managing big projects will be brought to bear on foistering a culture of value for money in infrastructural development . Technology will not become an instrument of defrauding the state as was the case of Opon scam. A green economy driven by practical technology and people centered urban renewal projects will be a legacy of Omisores governorship. * Rasheed is an Abuja based political and communication consultant
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:39:33 +0000