By Akanim Sampson
The recent lamentation of former President Goodluck Jonathan has vividly captured how rotten our country is on all fronts. Jonathan expressed concern about the abandonment of the many development projects he initiated as Bayelsa State governor after leaving office to become the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s deputy.
Speaking on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Best Western Plus Hotel, a modern hospitality facility at Oxbow Lake in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, the prominent Ogbia son highlighted a recurring challenge in governance at the state level.
Quite sad. The truth however is that abandoned development projects have severe negative impacts, including economic consequences like waste of resources, lost jobs, and reduced government revenue, as well as significant social problems such as disappointment, decreased living standards, and increased crime.
For instance, in a region like the Niger Delta ravaged by oil pollution, abandoned projects further cause visual blight, pollution, and create safety hazards. They also result in the financial and material waste of funds, labour, and construction materials.
Projects meant to benefit the public often leave the electorate disappointed when they are left incomplete. Arguably, they negatively impact the quality of life for citizens in the surrounding area, and become sites for vandalism, illegal activities, and pose a threat to lives due to structural instability and potential for accidents, and of course, increase in crime rates.
Across Nigeria, a number of construction projects are either uncompleted or out rightly abandoned. Researchers have identified a few probable causes and effects from their studies. Most of their studies on the matter were conducted using questionnaires and interviews with the relevant parties. Some have even suggested mitigation measures for this issue.
They may be right because since the era of the Shagari administration, housing project abandonment has been alarming. Housing is supposed to be beneficial to the citizenry as it depicts the level of the country’s development. But, the frequent abandonment of housing projects undoubtedly has a negative impact on the people, real property values, the construction industry and the built environment.
Jonathan, however, lauded the management of Best Western Plus for bringing such a premium brand to Bayelsa, and recalled efforts during his tenure as governor to encourage private investments in hospitality to make Yenagoa more attractive to tourists and business travelers.
He said as the first elected deputy governor of Bayelsa, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha at the time, started hosting African Movie award ceremonies that people from America, South Africa and others were coming, actors and actresses. It was a world event.
“So when I took over as the governor, there were some small small hotels in Yenagoa, and we cannot build a three star hotel overnight, let us give some little money for our hotels to improve, but they supposed to pay back, and we gave money up to N10 million, N15 million to a number of people. Because I left, nobody returned any money to anybody.
“So when we wanted to host again, we quickly award contracts to build three hotels, the tower hotel and two three star hotels, if they have done these three hotels, by now visitors coming to Bayelsa would have comfortable place to stay, but somehow when I left, even people I mobilised, we didn’t see what they did.
“That is the problem of the government, when the governor leaves, the next governor doesn’t want to follow up, most of that money spent will go”, Jonathan said.
That is a major problem in Nigeria. Lack of continuity. But, given the worsening housing deficit in the country that is racing to 30 million, there is urgent need for governments at all levels, to make funds available for massive housing project execution, appropriate schedule of project duration, transparency in the selection of competent and trusted contractors, involvement of stakeholders in project selection and approval, as well as a policy of continuity of project by successive administration.
The authorities should note that housing projects abandonment deface the aesthetics of the urban environment, distortions of the landscape/urban planning, structural failure of building, environmental pollution, increased health problems, threat to lives, and decreased economic activities among others.
And, despite the fact that our county has a rich human and natural resources, many of our roads are in terrible conditions, and have become death traps, nightmares for the citizens.
The nightmarish highways are still disrupting economic activities despite the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, and resulting in lots of mishaps such as constant accidents, armed robberies and losses of lives. The economic life of the Nigerian people – longevity and lifestyle – is being affected.
For now, to curtail this menace, Abuja and the sub national governments should be awarding contracts to contractors that have a strong financial base for their projects, and make effort to effectively supervise their jobs for the safety of the citizens.
And, when there is a change in administration, projects commenced by the outgone administration should, compulsorily not be abandoned.
ADVERTORIAL
