Why SDG projects failed in oil communities of South-East, South-South - Dr. Adirieje

Why SDG projects failed in oil communities of South-East, South-South

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/12/why-sdg-projects-failed-in-oil-communities-of-south-east-south-south/, 19 December 2018

ON DECEMBER 19, 20182:42 AMIN METRO0 COMMENTS

By Chinonso Alozie, Owerrri

Lack of funding and neglect on the side of the government have been identified as some of the reasons forestalling the actualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs in the oil communities of the South-East zone as well as that of the South-South.

This was according to the National Coordinator of a civil society organisation, CSO,  Afrihealth Optonet Association,  Mr. Uzodimma Adirieje, alongside other coordinators. He said this at  one of their regional review meetings in Owerri.

He claimed that it was same attitude of leaders that hindered the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.

He was peeved that should the authority concerned continue to display insensitivity over the SDG, Vision 2030, it would likely be a mirage.

He did not stop at that, he told South-East Voice that to make the dreams of SDGs come through, even the community stakeholders must learn how to speak to power, adding that it should not be left to the government alone.

He also pleaded with the nine state governors that comprised the Niger-Delta area to give maximum attention to the SDG projects which include  Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta,   Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

According to Adirieje, “Afrihealth was incorporated in 2003, our work basically is to improve the capacity of the civil society, to engage in development activities, mobilise communities and resources as well as speak to power.

“Also to monitor projects and even mobilise opportunities and resources to implement projects in the Niger-Delta areas that are geared towards achieving the SDG projects or what you call Agenda 2030. The projects were implemented from January 2017 to December 2018.”

Explaining further the activities of the body, he said: “What we are doing now is a regional review meeting to look at how the projects have gone, what we were able to achieve and what have not been achieved. It has been implemented in the nine states of the Niger-Delta. They are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo,   Ondo and Rivers.

“As part of it finds after the National coordinator had reeled out various intervention projects embarked upon by the group some of which were said to have been completed while some still are ongoing. According to Adirieje over 100 projects were visited.”

But the association said it was worried although “the achievements are glaring and encouraging. As much as we have achieved some of these, there is still more to be done. 2030 is eight years away. We are concerned that Nigeria is on the verge of not achieving the SDGs.

“There is nothing on ground that indicates that Nigeria is on the way to achieving the SDGs. We have advanced from MDGs uncompleted and not achieved, to SDGs. We are part and parcel of the planning of the SDGs.

Appealing to the governors and community stakeholders, he said: “We are calling and requesting all state governments in Nigeria especially those of the Niger- Delta Areas to come out with achievable road map to ensure that the states meet the Sustainable Development Goal target or before that. We cannot continue to fall behind the rest of the world in everything.

“Let us as a country, be in the forefront of achieving the SDGs in our own best interest. We have the human, material and financial resources to achieve it. It is only how we apply the resources that determines what we achieve.

“We request for due diligence in the execution of all projects. Use the best materials, use qualified engineers, as at 1982, the road constructed by Obafemi Awolowo, as Premier of Western Region in the 50s, were still motorable. But in our clime now, you see government repairing one road six times in a year,” adding: “The interest of the public should be protected. The resources that are being used to repair these roads are people’s money. Moreover, when government is owing salaries, why can’t we construct good roads to reduce the cost of transportation?

“Many capital cities in Nigeria, especially Owerri, do not enjoy good electricity. In the days of Sam Mbakwe for instance, he established the Amaraku Power station. The station was able to give light to the state. The Federal Government has liberalised the Power sector, so state governments can go into the provision of electricity.

“In the course of this project, we trained 162 people, in addition to 36 others. It is about 200 people made up of nine state coordinators, 27 senatorial zone coordinators and 162 duty bearers from each of the 81 local government areas.

“This is to empower them to be able to manage this process. What we are looking out is how to scale up this intervention. Some of them would capacitated more, in the issue of managing community engagements and government interaction as well as development partner management so that they can move to the next level.”