KIDNAPPING AND INVESTMENT IN DELTA STATE

Eddy Aghanenu


Delta State has been on the news in recent weeks. Unfortunately, it has been for the wrong reasons. There was the issue of the former ex convict governor James Ibori who was again convicted for money laundering in a London court. There was the controversial N7.4billion contract to demolish hills at Asaba Airport in ten days so that the presidential jet could land for the South South economic summit. Then there was the alleged threat by the state governor that he has the “powers to demolish houses and to kill”.

The above negative news items emanating from the state will not boost investment and reduce unemployment in the state but would rather do the contrary. A government that is people oriented will not dabble into anything that will bring it into disrepute. The above scenario paints a picture of a government that has no plans for the development of the state, clueless and inept at finding solutions to the numerous problems besetting the state. A government that hopes to attract investments to the state will do all within its powers to create an enabling environment that will be attractive to investors. A government that can “demolish and kill” can never attract investments.

The situation in Delta State has become worse with the rising insecurity in the state. People literarily sleep with one eye opened. Kidnapping is on the rise. It is no longer news in Delta State when someone is kidnapped. It has become a daily affair. It has become the easiest and quickest means of making money. From Asaba to Warri, Burutu to Agbor, the story is the same. Nowhere is safe in the state. Indigenes living outside the state are scared to come home. Investors are too scared to invest in an unstable and risky environment like Delta state.

Recently, soccer star, Christian Obodo was kidnapped in Warri. This was followed by the kidnapping of the governor’s elderly cousin in Asaba. Not done yet, kidnappers reached to the home of Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Ozoro to kidnap his son. How has it come to this? How come that States such as Rivers, Imo and Anambra have been able to curb or reduce this crime to the barest minimum and Delta State has not?

The Uduaghan government has never been sincere in his quest to create jobs. According to him, the state government authorized the civil service to employ one thousand workers in a state where hundreds of thousands are unemployed. Even these were alleged to have been asked to part away with six hundred thousand naira (N600,000) before they were employed. The governor said he was going to investigate this allegation. Two months after, the investigation is still going on.

Government drives the economy. It is government policies that help in shaping the economy and the creation of jobs. For now, nothing positive has been done by the state government in bringing the private sector to be involved in job creation. The so called industrial park in Warri that consumes three billion naira (N3billion) annually has not left the drawing board. No attempts have been made to revive comatose industries such as Delta Glass, Ughelli, AT&P, Sapele and others.

Infrastructural development that help in creating jobs are not being embarked upon. Edo State that has been turned into one gigantic construction industry has helped in employing more youths and reduce crime including kidnapping which was so prevalent in the past. The same cannot be said of Delta State. Rather than build new and upgrade existing infrastructure in the state, the ones on ground are dcaying.

In an apparent publicity stunt orchestrated by the state government, an online article said that the Delta State government has empowered 86,573 persons in the state through it micro mechanism programme. Delta state government is notorious for quoting none existent figures and completing grandiose projects on television to justify its financial recklessness. If over eighty thousand persons have be so empowered, why is it that unemployment is still high and kidnapping on the increase? Why is it that the state government has not been able to tackle crime in the state?

Some youths were employed during the elections to perform some illegal duties by the ruling party in the state. These youths that have been used to deliver victory to some people have been abandoned. Most were armed. Today, not being gainfully employed nor being remembered by their former paymasters, they have begun to vent their anger on the society. The monster that has been created is now bigger than the creator. The chicken has come home to roost. There is no hiding place for anyone in the state. The people are now being made to pay for the sins of some greedy politicians in the state.

Where will our help come from? The people are helpless. The government has abandoned governance and security to the criminals. Delta State government has no solution to the problem. Meanwhile, corruption is still endemic. Commissioner Chike Ogeah says Deltans should be patient while the state is burning. Infrastructural decay is on the increase. Major roads in all urban areas in the state are being turned to rivers because of lack of drainages. Sub standard work is done on the few ongoing projects such as the drainage work along Okpanam Road, Asaba and the so called dual carriage way of Warri Eku Road.

Investors are fleeing in droves. Deltans who attempted to establish one project or the other have sworn not to return to the state unless security improves. This is no time to play politics with the lives of the people. Gov Uduaghan must guarantee security in the state and ensure that he faithfully implements his three point agenda for the people. He should begin to “demolish” kidnapping in the state and “kill” insecurity. It is only then that investors will have confidence in the state. Otherwise, unemployed youths will continue to make us pay for the sins of the government.