Inconsistency in governance, bane of nation’s infrastructure decay – Monarch
Inconsistency in governance, bane of nation’s infrastructure decay – Monarch
Policy
By Yinusa Ishola
Omu-Aran (Kwara) March 25, 2020 (NAN) Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, the Olomu of Omu-Aran, has identified inconsistency in government policies as a critical factor militating against the nation’s infrastructure developmental efforts.
Adeoti made the assertion during a sensitisation stakeholders meeting organised by the office of the Kwara State National Orientation Agency, (NOA) at the Olomu’s palace on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the stakeholders meeting attracted heads of security agencies, market leaders, union leaders, community development association and civil society organisations.
It is aimed at sensitising stakeholders on the need to imbibe the habit of safeguarding essential national assets and public infrastructures within various communities.
Oba Adeoti said lack of continuity in government infrastructure development plans was responsible for the high number of abandoned projects across towns and villages.
He also blamed inadequate maintenance culture on behalf of government as a contributory factor for the dilapidated states of most public utilities.
The monarch said the non-functionality state of most councils across the states had also compounded the menace of infrastructural decays.
According to him, every successive government comes with different project ideas, policies and programmes without concrete plans for continuity.
“It’s very common in government circle and from past experience to see one government refusing to continue its predecessor’s projects and start similar projects afresh.
“This quite explains the high number of abandoned projects scattered across our various communities today.
“Most annoying aspect is that majority of these public infrastructure were put in place through communal efforts, but got rotten due to inadequate maintenance.
“Governments at all tiers need to re-order their priorities as regard having the strong political will to imbibe adequate maintenance and project continuity to move the country forward.
“In the time past, councils in the country are always beehive of activities with adequately equipped works department that can carry out all manners of maintenance, but the reverse is the case presently,” he said.
Chief Bisi Adeyemi, the President, Omu-Aran Development Association (ODA), decried the dilapidated state of public infrastructures in the community due to inadequate maintenance.
He cited the dilapidated state of various courts in the community which were built through communal efforts as a good case to buttress his point.
According to him, most of the buildings housing our magistrate court, upper Area court, high court are presently in a state of mess with dilapidated roofs, walls and furniture,
Adeyemi said the association had in the past embark on rehabilitation of the community water work project toward ensuring effective usage by the people of the community.
“The water work built over two decades ago had suffered neglect through inadequate maintenance and obsolete equipment resulting in low water pumping capacity,” he said.
Mr Segun Adeyemi, the State Director of NOA, said the stakeholders meeting was a directive from the agency’s headquarters in Abuja toward safeguarding national public facilities and assets.
He said that only a collective effort of stakeholders could help reduce the incessant vandalisation of public facilities such as electricity transformers, cables and petroleum pipelines.
The NOA boss urged the community leaders to compile the data of abandoned projects in the area for inclusion in its report and transmission to the appropriate quarters for possible action. (NAN)
ISHO/KOLE/GY
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Edited by Remi Koleoso/Grace Yussuf