OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE limited development to the building of structures, constructing roads, etc. without dwelling much on well-being of the people and how those projects impact their lives.
WE SEEM TO BE MAKING very little progress in addressing the infrastructure decay in our part of the world because politics has become the critical factor for initiating development projects. But the objectives of development are lost the moment the political dividend becomes the focus of our agenda, since the projects are hurriedly done, and in most cases standards are not met.
SO IT IS WITH THIS POLITICAL season where we’ve seen politicians extending so-called benevolence to individuals, institutions and communities and carrying out projects which most often life span does not go beyond 12 months.
THIS IS SO BECAUSE MOST of our electorates use these projects as bargain chips to cast votes.
SOME POLITICIANS USE PROJECTS such as schools, hospitals and roads as bait to attract votes in an election year, the electorate also think that they have the upper hand when they demand their ‘pound of flesh’ during election years.
BUT URGE ELECTORATES in the upcoming elections to not be swayed by benevolence and projects that only spring up during election year and become mere monuments right after election like we saw in 2011.
OF COURSE, WE ARE not saying that no one must embark on projects that will inure to the benefit of specific communities or the country as a whole.
WE BELIEVE, THOUGH, that it is not good enough for any politician to deliberately time the construction of facilities or their inauguration to coincide with an election year so that it will have an advantage over their opponents.
WE URGE THE ELECTORATES TO refuse to be hoodwinked by politicians who hide behind the provision of amenities to ‘steal’ their votes. After all, it is not only in election years that we need facilities or have to get projects completed.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO REQUIRE accountability from all the political stewards we have put in charge of our welfare, and when they fail to deliver, we must use the power of the thumb to vote them out of office.