One thing Gov. Wike should do next is urban-centre gentrification

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has shown that oft-absent trait that is so hard to find in state governors and this is about the will to commit resources accruing to these states for the purposes these resources are meant.

Governance, in reality, should not be that difficult but our laidback culture-religious mentality has ensured that incompetence by sitting state governors can be so easily explained away.

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Thus, for the little that Mr. Wike has committed himself to doing, he should be commended in the least; the “Mr. Projects” tag should just be the right spur to get him going. One thing Gov. Wike should do next is urban-centre gentrification whence cluster groups of 10 or 20 family homes in the urban built environment of Port Harcourt would be renovated in accordance with modern building-code standards and central raw sewage processing built in for good measure (the SPDC’s Residential Area in Port Harcourt provides a good model to study central raw sewage processing).

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Of course, it is not possible to fix every rundown family house before 2019, but the governor should begin this scheme and lay the foundation for subsequent interventions. Thus, now, as one comes over to Rivers State to appreciate the renovated schools and other public buildings, one should also appreciate the ultimate building, that is, the home. This suggestion is being made to Wike because it is only him amongst Nigeria’s 36 state governors who has shown an iota of commitment to public accountability and this sort of accountability requires a will and he has demonstrated such will.

Sunday Adole Jonah writes from Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State