THE DEPLORABLE ROAD NETWORK IN DELTA STATE: A PARADOX TO GOV. OKOWA NICKNAME AS THE "ROADMASTER".

Deltans are indeed a very resilient set of people who grin in agony and smile in the face of the complete neglect by government while going through hell on daily basis on the major roads that cuts across the state. No thanks to the deliberate and systemic government failure over the years to take full responsibility over what truly affects the citizens of the state despite the huge monthly allocations coming to the state both from the Federal government

and other sources of internally generated income.

One of the dividends of democracy and a responsible government is to provide infrastructures that will give the citizens a sense of comfort and facilitate easy movement of people, and goods across the length and breadth of the state and country. Unfortunately, one of the most critical infrastructures, good road, is missing in Delta State at the moment.

When a leader is giving a nickname or given different accollades, one should ordinarily expect such a public figure to conduct himself in tadem with such a nickname. For example, when people refer to late Chief Awolowo as a great contributor to educational development in the Western part of the country, it was as a result of his immense positive contributions towards the growth of education in his days. So also are other notable and prominent politicians who made giant strides in their various times in office in one capacity or the other. Even in sport, people like Austin Jay Jay Okocha is referred to as one of the greatest footballer that has come out of the black continent based on what people have seen him displayed physically. But it seems in Delta State, people are hailed and called all sorts of names for doing the complete opposite of what their names or nicknames stand for. This negative trend is very worrisome and is largely responsible for the bad situation of the State since it's creation.

Those who still go around publicly calling our governor the "ROADMASTER" after driving through the bad roads in the state, are only making a mockery of the governor when viewed from the true context of what we all seeing on ground. They should also fear God even if they don't have respect for the pyscological and emotional feeling of the masses who voted for the government.

Here in Delta State, which is unarguably one of the richest state in Nigeria, party men and women including appointees of government have turned the giving of nicknames on their benefactors on its head. From the creation of the state till now, public office holders especially the heads of the executive arm of government, the governor's have been given some unmerited nicknames for practically looting the common purse of the state dry in an unprecedented manner and for doing nothing to give the citizens a single sense of belonging.

A smooth road drive from other neigboring states with quality road networks will ultimately terminate in unimaginable pain once one enters or try to leave Delta State as we speak. While states like Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Anambra with lesser federation allocations can still muscle their meager resources to do roads, Delta State government is complaining about some roads being federal roads. The question that needs answer now is this. The Eku-Abraka-Abavo-Agbor road with over fifty deep pot holes that is almost impassable as we speak, is it a federal road too?

Needless we talk about the Warri-Uvwie metropolis where there is a complete absence of any good road network for the residents of these areas who have to go through hell to and fro their different destinations on daily basis.

The Governor of the state, H. E Sen. Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa nickname as the roadmaster as been touted by his appointees, is a complete paradox to what Deltans who voted for this government is witnessing and experiencing all across the major roads across the state. A journey across the Eku-Abraka-Agbor-Asaba axis is now an experience that is so traumatic that a honest person who wish the governor well, will admit has become a serious nightmare.

The Movement is using this opportunity to inform his excellency, that he needs to personally carry out an on the spot assessment of the bad situation of the road networks across the state. The perennial excuse that some roads are federal roads hence they have become terrible is no more tenable. The citizens of the state should not be giving the impression that there is no effective communication channel between the state government and federal government.

The infrastructural amenities of a state is sometimes a reflection of the kind of leadership system the citizens are being offered. The quality of those amenities is also a true reflection of the honesty displayed in keeping electoral promises.

The Governor cannot be answering the nickname giving to him by those who are hellbent in making sure he does not feel the pulse of Deltans by calling him the roadmaster when Deltans no longer have good roads to ply.

Delta State is a blessed state. It is heartrending that while other states that where created the same day with the state are flying on all fronts, politicians are here sharing and looting the resources that ought to be used to make life better for the common man. The governor and his supporters should be sit down and find genuine and honest solutions to the myriad of problems facing the state otherwise from available facts on ground, this government may have no tangible legacy that Deltans may remember after leaving office except the numerous appointess it keeps doling out on daily basis.

Deltans deserve a good life not pains and agony inflicted on them by the complete failure of government. The state needs serious rescue so that it can attain it's greatness.

Culled From 

Movement - Mpihdh

Photocredit : Movement - Mpihdh