 |
| THE OTUKPO LGA |
If I were the local government chairman of Otukpo, I simply would have achieved this:
1. Invited development partners (NGOS preferably managing public health interventions around the zone), relevant government agencies, local government HODs, critical stakeholders like the traditional and religious institutions to the development of a 50 year plan for the local government area. It is expected that the development plan will provide direction to our developmental needs for a period of 50 years.
2. Renegotiate all loans that was inherited from my successor and work out an arrangement that would enable the lending institutions take up certain projects to implement and recover their loans within an agreed period.
3. Go into a PPP arrangement that will quietly build and relocate the existing market & motor park from its present location to a virgin space, properly reposition the Tiv market to judiciously serve the people in that cluster, establish a building material market and move all traders to their respective locations. The current market is overstretched, very tiny with no safety plan in place and unsafe for people.
4. Convert the Eupi motor park and the adjoining goat market into a sports arena for the town, since we no longer have a stadium.
5. The local government would have to demolish the old market, the motor parks and the building material shops (after peaceful settlement with owners of those property - we either rebuild their property in the new markets, pay compensations or allow those property to continue rendering services to the newly established investment that would eventually be situated in the former market site.
6. After demolishing the old market and the main motor park, we will establish recreational facilities, a Museum (to archive and showcase most of our historical materials) and other tourist attractions in the old market locations. We will rebuild the old motor park to act as parking space for tourists that will eventually pay, park and visit for sight seeing. That will also generate revenue for the local government council.
7. We will establish our animal production centre, where all businesses that has to do with animals and its products will be handled (All the value chain). Schools, hospital and other infrastructure will also be developed in the same location to enable families of those in the business and neigbours access those services without hindrance.
8. Environmental Waste Management: To achieve this feat, we would work closely with stakeholders of the town to develop a waste management plan that encourages local establishment with the right capacity to engage people to manage the daily wastes that the city generates daily. For example, the business of managing waste can be sub - contracted to the happy Lions who will work out the most effective waste management strategy and gainfully employ idle youths who will benefit from this business.
9. It is unbelievable that streets cannot be fixed by the local government councils but we will employ a strategy that will encourage communities to rebuild their roads.The local government works departments will build the capacity of youths on the production of interlocking tiles, the local government will procure materials and equipment that would be rotated within communities to construct their roads. Streets in cities like Lagos ( Lekki and VI areas), Port Novo and other bigger towns are usually constructed using these materials and they stand the test of time if they are properly maintained. The works department would provide strict supervision and work with communities to rebuild their streets for some stipends. This will be a win - win for all, since their skills will be developed and as they migrate from the town, they surely will be migrating with skills and also adding values as well. Otukpo is not just a semi - urban town. The population is exploding and for a gateway city, the repositioning of the area should be a deliberate step and also driven by visionary leadership to move her from its present state.
Although these are very ambitious plans that may not have accomodated some critical sectors, but it could have ignited the process of development of one of the oldest towns in Nigeria. We may not achieve all these in just 2 terms of 4 years, however, some laudable milestones will definitely be achieved, given the amount of revenue that Otukpo generates monthly.
Kindly add your own ideas and suggestions as these may be useful to someone in future.
from Fruitty Blog https://ift.tt/2x5gnFA
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment