THE PROBLEM OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH PROJECTS
By Bala Ibrahim
The reader may have different frame of mind with regards the meaning of project, but for the purpose of this article, project stands for an enterprise that is purposely planned to achieve a particular objective. Also, this article intends to centre attention on civil engineering projects, which, the dictionary refers to as: the erection or construction, or extension, or alteration, or repair of any work, which technically belongs to the field of civil engineering, including road works and the construction of bridges. Although politics may mean activities associated with the governance of a country or area, in everyday life, particularly our lives in Nigeria, when they say politics, what comes to mind immediately is deceit, deception or double dealing. Only the modest among people, see politics as the use of power and social networking within the society to achieve changes that benefit the people
Something pathetic is happening in northern Nigeria and every time those with the powers to address the issue are asked, their response succeeds in making matters worse. While the north is battling with the menace of Boko Haram, came the fright of kidnapping and banditry. This is on a people that have long been living in partnership with poverty. The perplexing part of the north’s misery is that, the only road access it has, for reaching out to the rest of the country in the search for succour, which lies on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, has been put on an indefinite life support service.
I say life support because, the road work is suppose to be an engineering project that was initiated by the Buhari administration in 2017 or 2018, with a completion period of three years, which ordinarily should be finished by 2020. But we are now approaching 2025, and the story is always changing for the bad. In fact, unlike in life support, where a patient is kept under a variety of medical procedures that aim to keep him or her alive until the body is ready to take over again, the northerners have been kept permanently in suspense, with regards the fate or destiny of this livewire road. So it’s even more like a lifeless support.
While the importance of the road, as the major source of sustenance to the north can not be over emphasized, its steady suffocation by men of the underworld, who are living by the crime of kidnapping and ransom is adding pain to injury. And to make a bad situation worse, on Thursday, in Abuja, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced that the Federal Government has revoked the section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway contract being handled by Julius Berger. According to the minister, the revocation was necessary because the contractor, Messrs Julius Berger, is playing politics with the project. Playing politics with a project that is the livewire of a segment of the country? Nothing can be more pathetic, particularly when perused through the prism of the quantity and quality of casualties recorded on the road.
Again, unlike the life support, which supports the body function that’s failing, one would have thought, the government would provide an acceptable and instantaneous alternative, that would bring relief to the nightmare of this endless project.Yes, they said the contract would be re-awarded to more serious contractors, but what happens in the interim? The people of this region need an alternative, as in the case of life support, which functions until the body can resume normal functioning.
In its editorial of Thursday, 17/10/24, the Daily trust newspaper appealed to the Government to be decisive on the Abuja-Kaduna Highway. The paper said and I quote: “With the Kaduna-Lagos Road, through Birnin Gwari, in deplorable condition and largely under the control of non-state actors, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway is practically the only one that serves as the major artery for the movement of people, food items and other goods, especially from the North West to the South and other parts of the country”.
If the objective of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano project is to ease the transportation burden of the north, I am afraid, it’s looking like an enterprise that can be called, dead on arrival. The planned objective is being achieved in the reverse. And sadly, as said by the Minister, a politician, the problem is politics. People are playing politics with the project. Who are these people? Are they the kidnappers, insurgents, bandits, that are masquerading as politicians, or simply another species of unknown big men?
In blamming the work delay on the contractor, the Government or the Minister used terms like review, alteration, erection, extension and many other technical words that succeed in confusing everybody. The major ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as explained by the Renewed Hope Agenda is, repositioning Nigeria as a prime global investment destination, by growing the economy, lifing 100m Nigerians out of poverty and creating an enabling environment.
With the bulk of Nigeria’s poverty partners living in the north, the best way to achieve that is to reposition the north for that tedious task. That way, the Government can come free from the accusation of deceit, deception or double dealing, I think.
THE PROBLEM OF PLAYING POLITICS WITH PROJECTS