SET UP "SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE" TO MONITOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Davy Fidel (Freelancer)

Of course, road construction is a welcome development in any community that had long been abandoned. It is something no body in his or her right senses will object. However, to avoid a shaddy job, people in the Awodi-Ora community must be able to monitor the construction of the road. 

One way, The Campaigner, thinks this road can be monitored, is by setting up supervisory committee, to be made up of professionals, artisans, unskilled persons, residents, youth and concern people, who believe in development but must be qualitative. The committee must be democratically set up by the entire members of the community. 

It should not be a committee that MUST be imposed by some privilege persons, who believe that their authority can't be questioned. Rather, it must be a supervisory committee that must be for the best interest of the working people. Not some individuals that might want to use this initiative to build popularity for themselves. 

If such committee is set up. It will help to bring the people together. Not only on the recent construction of Cardozo/Mba road. But other related matters connected to the road, for example, accessible drinking water etc. It will also help to regularly engage the construction company - "Banci Nigerian Limited" - whose contract stipulate 18 months. 

For the 18 months the construction shall be complete. The community must be holding regular meetings, if not fortnightly but once in a month. While the supervisory committee elected by the  people, should be meeting often, to monitor the job and report regularly to the people as community representatives. 

There engagement is not to disrupt the work of the workers, working under unhealthy condition, the Banci Nigerian Limited employed. But is to prevent doing shaddy job. In the past, many communities had suffer similar situation. Where after the construction, water hardly flow through the drainage. Or the road start breaking. 

Most times, it will be that people, vehicles can no longer be able to ply the road newly constructed. It will become a death rap or river for residents. This has been the sad situation for Nigerians, where politicians uses infrastructural development as project to make themselves billionaires. 

The background of this fear, perhaps, is link to the raining season and to the consequential climate change, which in one hard, comes disastrous. In fact, flood is one fear that cripple people. Not for any other reason but because of the shabby and quack construction these private shadow companies construct. Water that suppose to flow inside the gutter, will then settle in people's houses. 

With this established fear already, millions of properties will be damage. Thousands will be render homeless. It is what these companies as in the case of "Banci Nigerian Limited", people fear are constructing. The Campaigner recent feasibility study attest to what people already engaged, if raining begin to draw nearer. Many of the houses as reiterated shall suffer dearly.  

Above this, it confirms why the people must set up this initiative. Already people have been complaining about the construction. For example, the drainage. That it is like erecting fence in front of their buildings. Information gathered states that it is because of the water tide. The question then to ask, what if that is not the case?  

In an organized society, government, the construction company and community representatives, democratically elected, will see the need of a stakeholder meeting. The essence of such meeting is to look at the best option, at which the issue of road, which is a form of development, can best serve the interest of the people. 

But because it is a private agenda, such initiatives is useless. The private construction company will never see why the masses come first, due to the reason they have, of protecting private interest. This has been the arrangement, since government no longer take the interest of the masses, as their basic priority. 

On the demolition, read article on: https://socialistmovementng.org/compensation-for-all-tenants-and-shop-owners-affected-by-demolition/

Having the people as first "priority", the government would have call for a stakeholders meeting of all persons in the community. The meeting, however, is to deliberate on the houses that will be affected and other related matters people need as social development, and to get them compensated unconditionally.  

This initiative will give the people a sense of belonging, than meeting a sudden trauma that chop their hearts. There will be adequate compensation for houses affected. The government will have to ensure tenants who live in these houses, are either compensated in cash or relocate to a better accommodation. So also to the affected shops. 

In achieving this, it will require a well planned society. Where government are on top form, concerning developments and provision of good living. As usual, under a private run business society, such remain impossible to guarantee because of profit before the people. They will prefer to keep their business flourishing, at the expense of the oppressed.

There is no doubt, a government with mass oriented programme can't achieve this. But this will require a socialist plan organise society, where the resources of the country is use for the best interest of the people. Under capitalism, development has always been use as projects. Only a socialist society will all areas of development be mass oriented.