Aregbesola blames nation’s woes on improper planning
OSOGBO—GOVERNOR of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola has blamed overpopulation, flooding, rapid spread of diseases and epidemics, upsurge in criminal activities and other natural disasters in the country to lack of proper planning in the evolution and growth of the nation’s cities and towns.
The governor spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, while declaring open the 42nd Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, NITP, Wednesday.
Aregbesola, who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy, Otunba Titi Laoye-Tomori, said the splendors people admire in the cities of developed countries of the world are the products of constant planning and strict enforcement of laws and order.
According to the governor, the opposite of this well-thought out plans in city buildings result man-made disasters such as overpopulation, rising in number of slums, diseases and flooding.
He noted that unless government at all tiers gear up to their task of enforcing law and order in the process of urban development, the ugly trend will continue.
He said what differentiates a civilised from an uncivilized nation is strict observance of law by the former and the jettisoning of same by the latter.
“The consequences of this neglect at planning have been the degradation of our cities, overpopulation, flooding, rapid spread of diseases and epidemics, upsurge in criminal activities and incommodious life for slum dwellers. Naturally, the life expectancy of slum dwellers is shorter than those in well planned areas.
It is this tendency that will embolden some people to attempt to convert parks and green areas into residential and business premises. This also leads to encroachment on road setbacks, road islands and bus stops for trading activities.
This same tendency leads to the epidemic of kiosks and tables on the road. The difference between the civilised and the uncivilised, however, is that the former will enforce the laws and maintain standards while the later will do little or nothing and allow the tendency to run its full course with dire consequences,” Aregbesola said.
He decried a situation in which cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Abuja and the rest could not boast of a functional intra-city rail system, doubting whether they could actually be called cities in the modern term of the concept, saying rail is the cheapest and the most effective means of mass intra-city transportation across the world.
He attributed construction giant, Julius Berger and other notable construction companies in the country on the massive construction works.
