As the government of Imo State continues to put in efforts in rebranding and remodelling the state, there is need for the citizens to understand that they have a role to play in sustaining those infrastructure.
If the citizens continue to treat with levity and careless abandon the structures put in place by government, it means that they are yet to understand the import and the recipients of those developments.
I have said it time without number that development should not come to play in the line of politics. Play all the politics you want, support any government you want; once it comes to development, the center must hold.
The issue of concern which is development, must be centripetal, so much so that it behoves the citizens to begin to stop the motley of abandoned projects in the state by owing up and embracing the projects and see them as theirs.
The projects of the government are the projects of the citizens because they are there for our use.
I have not seen any project done by any government for the state that the governor takes to his house when his tenure expires. It is for all of us to relish and benefit. We need to have this consciousness in our handling of the public facilities.
Today, just like Imo State government has gone into roundabout renewal and rebuilding, with beautiful designs to greet residents, especially visitors to the state, the citizens have a role to play to sustain these great projects.
Owerri municipality is not too big a city, so that making it a haven of beauty may have driven the Uzodimma led administration to begin to decongest the gridlock in the city by expanding the roundabouts with zebra crossings and control lights, thereby taking Imo back to its glory of the most beautiful state.
When citizens take wrong decisions, the actions of government to correct the anomaly should not be misconstrued.
If one goes to Fire Service roundabout, a well partitioned design with rails for pedestrians to avoid being hit by vehicles given the busy nature of that place, has been turned into a petty traders’ spots, making it even difficult for pedestrians to cross.
Now, the beauty of that place must not be lost because people have resorted to road-side selling-that is not the Imo we want.
Before now, I used to know that when you want to buy roasted/cooked corn, fried plantain, groundnut, among other road-side chewables, one moves into the streets to buy them, not on major roads, especially selling on those areas that deface the aesthetics of the city.
The unfortunate aspect is that the garbage are left there, creating heaps of refuse, in a city where government is spending so much to maintain.
Warehouse junction that is looking beautiful today should not be defaced by the citizens because they want to sale their goods. Petty sellers should go to the streets and do their selling.
The government green areas should not be occupied by high level of frivolity that presents us as not too serious a state. Visitors coming into the state should appreciate the beauty of the state/city. A visitor should not be greeted with nauseating elements. I do not subscribe to that!!!
If care is not taken, the government house entrance will be flooded with petty sellers, so that before an investor enters the government house, he buys some pieces of pears with cooked corn, munching them into the business meeting hall.
The government must again rid the state of demented/mad elements: this too defaces the state.
The ministry of women affairs should be charged to rid the streets of Owerri of unwarranted elements, constituting nuisance to the beautification of the state and taking them to psychiatric centers for attention.
When will Imo become a state where when a driver comes to a traffic light, whether there is a traffic warden or not, he waits for the green light to move. We shall only get there if the right attitude is put up by all and sundry.
The projects are ours and the early we protect them, the better for us all. The good roundabouts are not for governor Hope Uzodimma but for the citizens, for which he is. The government wants those areas to be cleared because of the high risk of being hit by a vehicle.
In the streets, the speed limits are reduced naturally given that one has to be mindful of children, shops, sellers among others. There is an Igbo adage that says, ‘onye-si chi ya egbukwalaya, eji-kwala aka’ya egbu onweya’.
Another thing that constitutes a nuisance to the beauty of the junction renewal by the government is the commercial bus drivers. The caution is lost by these drivers, especially with disregard to parking rules. Some will stop by the middle of the road and carry passengers. I ask myself, what type of state is this where there is no order. A society without order, should not exist in the first place. No wonder, there is government to bring that order.
That order must be complimented by the citizens. One does not need to be careful about the infrastructure that government is bringing on board, it is the care itself.
We need to employ the attitude of ensuring that our homes are in order, clean and put in proper shape to the state. There is no gain saying that once that is done, Imo state will begin to wear that beautiful look we all dream of.
