Anenih

Anenih, The Nation's Roads, And 2003

It has become fashionable for journalists and groups (mushrooming under various guises) seeking attention to write and put up paid advertisements directed at the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Chief Tony Anenih. A common feature of these write-ups, either on the Minister's road rehabilitation programme or his political beliefs is the deliberate coloration of half-truths and general misinformation. Hitherto known facts are deliberately laced with lies to misinform the public for set objectives.

On the nation's roads, most Nigerians seemed to have forgotten the genesis of the systemic collapse of the nation's roads and other infrastructure nationwide. Nigerians may recall that in 1994, it was the realisation of the collapse of our road infrastructure among others that gave rise to the setting up of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) with a mandate to rehabilitate failed infrastructure (mainly roads) nationwide.

Although the PTF had an ambitious road rehabilitation programme, only about 30 per cent success was recorded as most of the projects were abandoned while some were not awarded at all after committing resources close to N100 billion the programme.

In the case of Eastern roads where shouts of marginalisation have been loudest, cumulative budgetary neglects over the years, political indifference and sometimes aloofness by officials of government with regards to road rehabilitation have been responsible for the deplorable conditions of the roads.

However, the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo has unfolded a bold road rehabilitation programme nation-wide which is being overseen and policed by the Minister of Works, Chief Anenih. This massive road rehabilitation programme of government is on-going and in top gear. It must be emphasized that most of the rehabilitation works did not commence until about April 2000 at the heart of rainy season, due to budgetary delays and other bureaucratic bottlenecks. A tour of some of the projects during the yuletide season recorded a marked improvement of the tempo of work on the roads, obviously due to the construction-friendly dry season.

Though some Nigerians are still complaining of neglect of the nation's highways, it is understandable only from the premise that the finished products have not been seen.

Road rehabilitation and construction is an activity that takes several months to complete and contractors engaged in the on-going road rehabilitation and construction works have on the average about 18-24 months completion period (spanning two budgetary years). Skeptics may check and verify that contractors are fully mobilised and working at appreciable pace (since the advent of the dry season) on these roads.

In addition, the Minister of Works and Housing has set up crack monitoring teams made up of highly respected Nigerian Engineers/professionals and given enormous powers to oversee and monitor the progress of work while disciplining any erring contractor.

Contrary to the deliberate misinformation in the newspapers by those interested in anything but in the nation's roads, Chief Anenih has set a pace in the unprecedented manner and speed with which a number of road rehabilitation and construction projects were awarded and are being strictly policed. At the end of the contract periods, our nation's roads shall never be the same again and our doubting Thomases would have been proved wrong.

There is no doubt at all that Chief Tony Anenih is a politician of enormous experience. As a politician, the Chief is free to express any political opinion. That during the reception for Dr. Peter Odili, the governor of Rivers State by his kinsmen, Chief Anenih made a declaration on his political belief and direction come 2003 does not preclude other politicians from airing their beliefs and opinions. After all it is the people that decides who should be the custodian of their mandate!

Rather than resort to name-calling, our politicians-most of whom come in various guises should feel free to express opinions of their our and let the people decide when the time is ripe.

President Obasanjo has a right like other Nigerians to contest the Presidential Election in 2003. What matters is the electorate. Let no one delude himself, not even journalists or columnists have the mandate to speak or write for the Nigerian electorate on 2003 like they are currently doing. At the appropriate time, the electorate will speak for itself and it shall be sacrosanct!

Individuals and groups (real and sponsored) who either do not like the face and towering status of Chief Anenih in the political arena or see in him an obstacle to the realisation of their selfish ambitions, and thus have chosen to misinform the unsuspecting public through deliberate misrepresentation of facts on the pages of newspapers, should know that neither the majority of Nigerians nor Mr. President is fooled by their antics. Rather than malign the Minister through cheap blackmail and unsubstantiated allegations on the pages of newspapers, the affected individuals and groups should allow Nigerians to deliver the verdict at the appropriate time as to whether the government has performed or not at the end of its tenure.

Onolememen wrote in from Lagos, Nigeria