Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba
Ideally and personally, I hold nothing inter-personal with the leadership of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, but because, we are enjoying or you will say enduring some harsh realities around the democratic culture we find ourselves, there is still need for as a non state actor/stakeholder, I will be doing better to improve the system, when i actively engage and share my candid opinions.
I will like to share some early regrets or apology to any here who may find this piece uncomfortable, especially, state actors and their partners, kindly don't blame me, my response is a function of my over fifteen years volunteering for the non state actors and civil society circle, am grateful, you quite understand my bias and basis of this engagement.
Yes, Hon Marakpor Is working, but for the fact that there are some folks, some where who are not happy, such raises the need to take some second and more in depth analysis of the issues at hand.
There are gaps in what she is doing so far, as the indicators point to the fact that She was just too much in a hurry to make a name more than strategically working out some sound framework of action at the boardroom, before embarking on the street level engagement, which strategic planning session will itemize possible citizen's response.
I don't think that her boardroom planning sessions, ever gave rooms for involvement of other stakeholders outside her political party, agency and her spheres of more powerful controls.
If she had at these sessions, pro actively involved, civil society bodies, trade and labour unions, youth and women leaders and other opinion shapers, even those from opposition political parties, she must had being fed with sound information about possible harsh realities her field engagement might throw to citizens, and sound plans on mitigation outline.
There were no detailed plans nor attentions taken about how her planned actions will negatively impact the people, hence, the heavy out cry from citizens at the commencement of the exercises.
In the name of beautification, we all witnessed how some folks sole means of livelihood were denied them, with zero alternative provided for them.
What in the point of fact is our polity turning into, are we still humane, why embark upon this project with no plans for alternative options more especially, fixing alternatives that will reduce hardship, less expensive and sustainable.
Between having some cleaner environment and having folks die or suffer health challenges because their means of livelihood is taken away from them, without alternative arrangements, which is better public sector response.
If her board room project designs template where critically debated over well and involved more stakeholders, who could sit across the boardroom table, while maintaining pure development driven eye ball to eye ball engagement and sitting on the table as equal brainstorming partners, all the gaps and issues registered today would had being taken care of and folks will have no reason to be afraid nor had concerns about loss of their sole means of livelihood, folks will without compulsion leave those spots the agency wanted evacuated.
There will be zero need for the use of armed security operatives, who would had spent those man hours securing other crazier hot spots in town.
I have zero issues against any quest to have a clean environment, but where an agenda will impact the citizens negatively to any degree, it is only ideal and proactive that the state actors response should be that of a humane and pro people response, and not one that add more stress and hardship.
That we make laws and support government's actions that shields the poor and reduces hardship to the poor and vulnerable, is a hallmark of our improved and sustainable civilization.
That our government agencies will outrightly destroy micro enterprises and nano scaled businesses, serving as the only hope of survival for the urban poor with zero attendant recourse to first taking and documenting database information about those whose shops, kiosks, containers, wheel barrows and tables containing their wares were destroyed, with a view at making some business development and far reaching improved business enhancement opportunities for them is not a worthwhile development, especially, for a state like Delta State.
That the agency currently does not have in their office a comprehensive database detailing names, contact info, ethnicity, economic and other social details about those who were negatively impacted in the course of implementing their duties, to all sane thinking persons remains an administrative minus.
Those affected are humans and citizens, we will require of the state government to be more proactive and pro people, that they are poor and vulnerable or not directly capable of making governance process stagnant, is not an excuse that their current reality, with respect to loss of their means of livelihood should be ignored.
If the state government continues to move on as if they just engaged animals, there are greater possibilities that more cases of
social tensions and ills, will become the resultant outcome.
Early last year and the previous years, the political leadership of Oshimili South LGA, through her agents allotted and sold out portions of spaces and spots at the market, again, I ask, does it mean that the council authorities does not have a comprehensive list of those they sold out spots to, if they have such database, it will be great and progressive, if by now, these female petty traders are reached out to and some cushioning cum palliative measures extended to them.
That the council authorities forgot and left these poor women to their life shattering fate and family unity threatening realities, points and paints the image of a zero sensitive government.
Next and painfully hit fellows in the cause of this ongoing beautification exercise are the 104 Asaba fruit vendors community.
Some city critics and opinion shapers, our media outfit recently had some news analysis engagement with, pointed out to Asaba Post News Wire ONLINE, that so worrisome, most of these fruit vendors, say about 75% of them do not reside in Asaba.
We were informed that on daily basis these transport themselves and their wares from Agbor, Umunede, Abavo, Issele Uku, Ogwashi uku and other parts of Anioma Nations to Asaba to do their trade.
Like earlier advocated for on their behalf, we still hold and maintain that the official claim of N5,000 rentage is on the high side and economically unsustainable for these women who deal on perishable goods with zero preservative facilities nearby.
Considering the stress of transportation, harsh sunshine and rainfalls that will deal squarely upon them, not to mention the frequent, if not weekly disturbances from youths loyal council authorities coming to demand for levies, tolls adds nothing but more stress and hardship.
Hence, we advocated for a N1,000 monthly rentage.
Again, we hold that Hon Mrakpor's approach towards executing her agency's "beautification exercise" is
not pro-poor.
A sight at how those youngsters hanging around her hop at these poor petty traders along Nnebisi Road, both trampling, destroying and throwing their wares into their waiting hillous vans and tippers, we say is both inhuman and does not return back any human respect nor dignity to the poor suffering Nigerians, who sweat out and eke out their daily meager means of livelihood under sun and rain.
We stand with these poor citizens, yes, the agency had claimed that these poor fellows were given countless warnings to quit those spots where there trade, but the question all pro poor advocates asked was "what alternative spots did the agency point at to these poor fellows"
We are confident that had these ones seen alternative spots, there will be zero cries, lamentations and curses these poor petty trades haul at the agencies task force youths.
Even the holy books frown at those through who the poor weep, wail and cry.
Though, we are yet to confirm some recent statements credited to Hon Mrakpor as it concerns the "leave township" riot act read to these poor petty traders.
Ordering the poor to leave urban cities and rapidly relocate back to their various communities on the grounds no more other than that they are poor, we hold as the most inhuman treatment the poor can receive from those who they labored to vote into office is to be denied their sole means of micro livelihood.
SOURCE: ASABA POST NEWS WIRE
