From Douglas Blessing
A group, Civil Rights Council (CRC) has urged the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to concentrate on investment in human capital development and create other economic activities that will promote jobs opportunities in the state.
The group insisted that constructing more flyovers in Port Harcourt, the state capital, will be putting the Rivers people in hardship condition.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the State Conference Chairman of CRC, Mr Arinze Robinson, advised the state governor to concentrate more on lifting the sufferings of Rivers people, a way of reducing insecurity in the state.
He stressed that awarding about 10 flyovers which some are still under construction, the governor should consider on how to relieve the sufferings in the state by meaningfully engaging the teeming jobless youths.
He said “We are all aware of the recent announcement by the Governor of Rivers State to embark on the construction of the 11th and 12th flyovers in Rivers state and the subsequent signing of the contracts.
“The two flyovers will be among the latest of such development efforts of the Rivers State government after awarding 10 flyer overs in the capital city of the state alone, most of which are still under construction.
“While physical constructions and infrastructural development is plausible, we consider the huge resources invested in them too massive and concentrated in small geographical location of the state in the face of rising poverty and poor standard of living of Rivers people.
“There are also capital budget provisions in the health and education sectors without funding, hence a perpetual recurring of these projects in the yearly budget provision of the state. While flyovers are good for the aesthetics, an undue focus on the state capital would escalate urban-rural migration thus leading to more infrastructural mastication and more crimes.
“We hereby, advise the state government to reconsider further Flyover projects and consider investments in human capital development and other economic ventures that will bring about the employment of the teeming jobless youths of the state.
“If the huge investments made on the flyovers are deployed in providing gainful investments in building industries and creating employment, we believe that this will reduce insecurity in the state as more hands will be employed reducing the crime rate”.
The group added that with an unemployment rate of over 43 percent and a rising youth population, it is expected that government would invest in human capital development, especially of its youth population, and create an enabling environment for job creation and support for MSMEs, rather than strangle them”.
On social and environment impacts assessment of the intending flyovers area, the group demanded that the government of Rivers state must as a matter of urgency discuss with the community leaders, residents, and landlords of the affected places to understand their stance on the conceived projects.
