“why bother with a harmless ant when you have a poisonous snake inside your house?”
The recent grading exercise of some roads in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State by the Chairman, Hon. Muhizu Marvelous has met some criticisms.
ABS News Network reports that various people have come to express mixed feelings over the exercise –with the majority describing the project as an unnecessary waste of resources and time on frivolity rather than matters that matter.
When asked what his thoughts were on the development, one Mr. Sherif (a business owner in the area) said he does not see it as a welcome development.
“the exercise has made the area very dusty and this does not mean well for residents and businesses. If you observe well, you would see that it will now be easy for erosion water to freely flow from the cemetery area into the tarred ICE road and this is further compounded by the lack of drainage here. Now the dust makes it hard to breathe meanwhile the worse is yet to come as we expect rains this year.” He said.
On his part, a respondent who chose to be identified simply as Zak complained bitterly about the dusty nature of the road in the aftermath of its grading –opining that a better approach would have been better if only government meant well.
“I see this exercise as a politically motivated move to make it seem as if the government is working when truly it is not ready to work. If they wanted to do this road, we would have seen tractors and other road construction equipment here. In my opinion, it is a move aimed at making a political statement to guide the political decisions of our people towards certain quarters as the elections draw near but then, the chairman should have known that simply grading and leaving the road this way would inconvenience those of us who do business here.” He concluded.
On the contrary, Most of the Okada Riders and Drivers who spoke to Enaholo J.K. were all agreed that as long as vehicular movement is concerned, the situation of the road has improved as they can now ride and drive through without the hitches that used to make the area impassable in the recent past.
They thanked Hon. Muhizu Marvelous for the initiative and appealed that more should be done to permanently address the problem of erosion in the area before the year 2024 rains arrive.
“it is a good thing because the road is now passable. Not only that, the refuse that were indiscriminately hovering everywhere have now been pushed onto one aspect of the road and this has created some sense of sanity unlike how dirt littered the area before now.” Says Oshioke.
Meanwhile, one Mr. Lucky asserted that the exercise though laudable, is not necessary. He explained that across the jurisdiction of the Etsako West Local Government Chairman lies more severe ecological concerns like land degradation occasioned by the washing away of the soil by runoffs whenever it rains.
Citing the Waterboard, Water Tanker and Utsokwili Gullies (a few gully sites) in Auchi alone, Lucky said that at the moment no palliatives have been put in place by the local government with a view to making sure that while residents in these areas await future land reclamation exercises, the already existing gullies do not grow beyond where they are currently.
“what I can tell you is that this exercise is like a situation where one exerts his efforts at killing ants outside his house meanwhile there is a poisonous snake in his house. Which do you think demands urgent attention?
“Let me tell you, it would have been better if the resources put into grading the areas the chairman has graded were put into ensuring that the gullies don’t continue to lengthen as the rains begin.
“He should be meeting relevant stakeholders and opinion leaders in the gully ravaged communities in Etsako west so that they can suggest ways to pause the progression of the gullies before government at the higher level can come in to help.
“I know the local government does not have the resources but the people need to have the assurances of the Chairman that he means well. To do this, he should start meeting with those living around gully sites to see what efforts the locals have been putting in on their part so that he can help amplify these efforts in the interim.” He surmised.
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By: Enaholo J. Kadiri | auchiblog@gmail.com | AUCHI BLOG & SERVICES | absnews.net.ng | +2348069055018 | 25/01/024
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Awesome development
It is the responsibility of a local government Council to grade roads in it’s area of jurisdictions. This duty they have consistently failed to carry out. Since the Council Chairman decided to do the grading at this dry and dusty period he should have prepared or envisaged the negative outcome. He should made sure that water tankers are available to ameliorate the dust arising from the grading. Secondly drainage should be constructed to channel the erosion water to the drainage of the ICE road. It is on record that that cemetery road was on the reader for construction but government failed to do and at Igbei road. Unless drainage are built on the cemetery and asphalt done, that road will be washed away. This period is a political and to me this grading is a political start. I wsnt to believe that the Chairman mean well and need some encouragement. He should however look at what he can do to stop further encroachment on the erosion ravaged areas such as Usikwilli village where the project was started during the election and now abandoned before election day. Other areas are water tankers road and waterboard where erosion gully have rendered people homeless. I do hope and pray that the Chairman is not doing the grading to score some cheap political point. We are now politically educated not to be deceived again.