How relevant is the dredging of Ikpoba River?
by
IN his first quarter in office, the Governor Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion’s administration almost made everyone particularly the workforce draw a conclusion that action government has once again return to Edo State. For instance, over two months salaries arrears owed workers by the former Milad Group Capt. Anthony Onyearugbulem were paid, the last quarter of 1999 saw a relief as some roads in the state were rehabilitated and many more mapped out for renovation and repairs. Among these are the popular Ogida Road that stretches along the Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Second East Circular Road which connects the commercial money spinning New Benin market/Lagos-Benin Road and Sapele Road. It is however, imperative to note that as economically significant as these two major roads are, they have still not received the desired attention.
The first quarter of the year 2000, however, brought about a decline in what was initially perceived by the citizenry as action government. Within these months, the governor embarked on a massive shuttle around Europe and America. The governor’s deputy, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, feeling that he was being left out of the money spinning venture also embarked on a shuttle to Asian countries, particularly China being the most visited. At the end of the day when citizens began to raise eyebrow and demanded explanation, the governor and his deputy said it was for the interest of the state. If it is worth anything, why have the citizens not seen the dividend of the numerous trips which have exhausted several millions from the Edo State treasury. However, it is not surprising to the indigenes in the state that till date, none of the Edo indigenes in the Diaspora, let alone foreign investors have showed interest in investing in the state. The reason for this is not far fetched. The fact is, no one in his right mind would want to put his money in an insecure environment, and where facilities such as roads, electricity, communication network are esentially lacking.
Governor Lucky Igbinedion’s militant approach to the sensitive issues peculiar to Ambrose Alli University (AAU), begins to make the electorate wonder whether his administration is an extension of the old military junta. The worse aspect of it all is that neighboring states particularly in the West have been deceived by the governor in his media chat that all is well with Edo State such that he pays the workers N6,500, whereas he pays the workers N4,500. This is after the controversial governor’s 10 percent tax deduction has been deducted. The question is where does the rest of 7.5 per cent go to since nationwide, the tax deduction is 2.5 per cent. Governor Igbinedion’s administration attracted more condemnation when he suddenly imported rice with a colossal amount of N528,000,000 and over N10,000,000 each for refurbished secondhand buses were purchased in April/May 2000, at about same period when workers were threatening to go on strike due to non-payment of their salaries. If the governor is not playing on the sensibility of Edo indigenes, what is the function of the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Works and Transport and their various Commissioners? The acceptability of the citizens to the imported rice was low. This prompted the governor to compel each local government chairman to pay N5,000,000 for onward distribution in their various constituencies. He also compelled them to pay N1.5 million each as grant to his father’s Igbinedion University while the only state owned university, AAU, suffers from gross underfunding.
Now, if the globe trotting governor as recently branded by pressmen in Edo State actually wants to emancipate the state from its past iron fist Milads who have done nothing but to loot and plunder the state treasury with absolute recklessness, what has he do to with the importation of rice to the tune of N528 million when Agbede, Ozigono and Ekpoma respectively, can adequately cultivate rice for the state and the nation in general and for export if less than N15 million is injected into these communities to boost and enhance rice produce with adequate supervision from the Ministry of Agriculture. This no doubt will also go a long way in engaging some of the unemployed youths in the state. In a media chat in the last quarter of 2000, Governor Igbinedion was asked why he embarked on borehole projects to the tune of N7 million each in Okada, Iyanomo and Evboneka respectively, when a conventional borehole costs about N450,000.00. In his response, he laughed and said, those were old fashioned and that the ones he provided are solar boreholes that can last for life. But it is however sad that these boreholes which cost the state N21 million are not functioning. One was reliably informed by an Engineer in one of the state’s ministries that a borehole project for any community with standby generating set for uninterrupted water supply would only cost about N700.000.00 and will also last for life with adequate maintenance. This disclosure brings the cost of the three communities to an average of N2.1 million instead of the governor’s N21 million. On the issue of the NDDC’s allocation and why it is not yielding dividend in Edo State whereas development projects and public oriented ventures are being embarked upon by governors of Delta State and Bayelsa, he said, that Edo’s allocation will be put in his account. Now, if the intentions of Governor Igbinedion to Edo State are sincere as his predecessors, Prof. Ambrose Alli and Rtd. Brig. Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia in the Second Republic, what use is the NDDC allocation in an account to Edo indigenes when there are several development projects crying for the governor’s attention.
The most disheartened aspect of Governor Igbinedion’s 22 months in office is the punshement and untold hardship the workforce particularly civil servants are been compelled to cope with. For instance, the minimum wage arrears for the month of May to June have not been paid in the year 2000, arrears for promotion in the month of January to June in the year 2000, have not been paid, leave bonus from April to December in the year 2000, have not been paid, workers were forced out of service with the governor’s controversial 28 years in service and 53 years of age against the nationwide retirement scheme of 35 years in service and 60 years of age. Finally, is the issue of the non-payment of pensioners’ three months in lieu of notice till date. This however compelled the workforce, both Christians and Muslim alike in the state to celebrate the 2000 yuletide in the most dehumanising and low keyed manner ever recorded in the history of Midwest, Bendel and the present Edo State.
Furthermore, the Ikpoba River dredging brought to a head Governor Igbinedion’s maladministration in his 22 months in office. This project has generated a lot of questions than answers. At first, there was a rumour that he was going to turn it to a sea port until later in a media chat late last year, Governor Igbinedion said he was going to build an hotel alongside beach which could subsequently become a tourist centre. There is nothing wrong in building a hotel, and an artificial beach against the will of nature, but the point is at whose expense and if the hard earned state resources and the tax payers money of the populace are going to be expended on this project and the populace are unanimously against it owning to the fact 99 percent of every white elephant project ever embarked upon by public office holders always end up in futility, why on earth should Governor Lucky Igbinedion still continue with the project unless he and the State House of Assembly who has continuously endorsed the huge sum of over N1 Billion are just trying to get themselves richer at the expense of the already impoverished populace.
The big question is of what relevance is the dredging of Ikpoba River when the state cannot boast of one industry. The only industry, the cement factory at Okpilla has been grounded. When the state owned Specialist Hospital is at the brink of total collapse, when the state owned University, A.A.U, is grossly understructured, when salaries are not been paid to workers as a result, hunger pervade the land, when the state water board cannot pump water to its consumers when there is perpetual outage, when there are bad roads here and there, when house rent and prices of food items have skyrocketed due to the advent of new minimum wage, but Governor Igbinedion continues to pay workers N4,500. However, if anyone outside this state doubt these claims, let him or her pay a visit to Edo State and see things for himself and then finish off with opinion sampling and he will be convinced that Governor Igbinedion's 22 months in office has achieved nothing but self aggrandizement and propaganda.
Finally, one strongly believes that if Governor Igbinedion has expended some of these money on the only state industry-Cement factory at Okpilla, then go extra metre to establish other industries like Burnt Brick Industry with about N300 million, this will go a long way in reducing the high rate of unemployment currently pervading the state. Through, this burnt bricks industry, the governor could for instance, embark on massive housing projects as is being done by Ogun State government through Ogun State Property Investment Company (OPIC), for his workers particularly the civil servants whose pensions and gratuities summed together can’t put a roof over their head. The state owned specialist hospital should be well funded and refurbished because it is the only hospital that brings succour to the common man, the state own University A.A.U should be well funded and lecturers well remunerated and promptly paid to avert future face off like the one currently existing between the government and the institution.
And every other public utilities and project that would have direct impact on the ordinary citizen of the State should be encouraged by the Governor.
It should be noted however, that the intention of this piece is not to condemn the Governor Igbinedion’s administration, but that through this medium, Governor Igbinedion would as a matter of urgency to sit up and re-dedicate himself to the same selfless services he rendered when he was the Oredo Local Government Chairmen in the Third Republic.
Mr. Akhirebhu wrote in from Ogun state.