FOR people living in coastal communities, who are literally described as the goose that lays the golden egg, a ray of hope came their way following the initiative of the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori on a directorate to tackle all forms of neglect.
The governor’s move has manifested in the creation of the Ministry of Riverine Infrastructure Development and the appointment of a stakeholder and activist, Mr. Ebikeme Clark as the pioneer commissioner.
Since then, the governor has received accolades from individuals and groups that appreciate the step as quite rewarding to people, who were believed to have been abandoned because of the unfavourable terrain that limits efforts at constructing roads or building infrastructure.
Without mincing words, a greater percentage of the landscape in the coastal communities is not motorable talk less about easily transporting goods and services. Besides, a similar percentage of humans is living in abject poverty, due to the inability to access education, electricity, and even communication networks. Therefore, this latest development has given them a sense of belonging.
The agitation for the development of the coastal communities that spanned from Oko in Oshimili South local government area to Abala, Utchi, Okpai, Aboh, Umuolu in Ndokwa East local government area and others in Isoko, Patani, Bomadi, Warri South West local government areas has been a burning issue. After Governor James Ibori constructed the Bomadi Bridge, many communities in the area heaved a sigh of relief. Today, some riverine communities have roads, fledgling schools, and viable markets due to the Bomadi bridge.
The Ase Bridge, connecting Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East at the Beneku and Aboh axis also achieved a similar aim as the areas have been opened to receive development, despite the unfriendly terrain, and almost ending years of agitation against perceived deprivation and marginalisation.
Other efforts by the Delta State Government to develop the riverine areas before now include the construction of a floating market in Ogheye, Warri North Local Government Area at a cost of N4.2bn. The market was built during the administration of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
There is also the ongoing construction of a multi-billion Ode-Itsekiri link road that is billed to be completed within the tenure of the incumbent governor, Rt. Hon. Oborevwori. The road, with bridges across creeks, will link Warri to Ode-Itsekiri and numerous villages in the creek.
We commend the governor for choosing the part of assuaging the feeling of deprivation among the riverine populace. This zeal to develop the areas must be sustained to ensure that the seeds sowed in the quest to extend development to coastal communities are nurtured to maturity.
Now, the burden for the implementation of the policies and programmes, to satisfy the people, rests with the new commissioner. Before initiating programmes to achieve the lofty objectives of setting up the ministry, he should tour the areas to generate data for a blueprint on projects to be executed. Such programmes must include ensuring that there are portable drinking water and health facilities for the people.
Moreover, durable roads would be constructed to open the riverine communities to investors. Similarly, the ministry must ensure the provision of electricity, which is a prerequisite for investment by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). More schools are also needed in the coastal areas as people without education would perpetually wallow in ignorance.
Good roads and electricity have the multiplier effect of ensuring that teachers posted to schools in the areas remain at duty posts to impact knowledge on the children and youths.
Having recognised the coastal communities through the setting up of a special ministry to address their problems, the people must sustain the peace and harmony that has been witnessed in the areas for some time. Community leaders must caution the youths against disrupting construction activities or imposing levies on developers and government contractors.
We believe that this is just the beginning of greater things to come for the coastal communities but it behoves on the indigenes to be welcoming to all development stakeholders, especially the contractors so as maximize the benefits.
