By SUNNY IKHIOYA

When people welcome strangers, there is a mix of cultures that result in positive developments. This vital advantage relates to cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and the rest. The city of Warri was in that category until the eighties when everything died. Before oil, it was the commercial city of Warri, and when oil business became its main stay, it became oil city. 

Positioned between land and sea, and strategically located to link the upland ethnic groups with those of the riverine, the city became a centre of attraction for everyone. At a time, it was the administrative capital of the whole Delta province  in the former MidWest, Bendel and now Delta State. In Peter Enahoro’s book, Then Spoke The Thunder, he described Warri as an already developed city when they arrived there in the 1940s, with all the elements of civilisation in place: regular power supply, good road networks, public water works and bustling nightlife. You will visit Warri and never want to leave again because of the hospitable people, good cuisines, general wellness and cultural displays. That was then. 

Today, the city is like a ghost of its former self, more rural than villages in the countryside. A city in darkness that can remain without light for as long as two weeks and nobody cares. Dirty environments with dilapidated structures and high crime rate. And to make the irony more striking, Warri has been the revenue-generating centre for successive Delta State governments and a very good hunting ground for churches and other bodies to collect tithes and offerings. 

In the midst of much suffering, the Warri man will add humour to his situation. The Warri man never “carries last” because he is hardworking. But what is baffling in the whole Warri man situation is that, with all of his “open eye”, he has never been united, with others, in condemning the excesses of the politicians from his area. When you say “no gree for anybody,” the Warri man readily comes to mind, but success can only be achieved if the people are united.

One recalls how the staff of the Delta Steel Company ganged up to beat up their underperforming general manager in his official quarters. That is the extent to which the Warri man can go to get justice; but for that to happen on the consistent levels, the people must be united. Politicians, bigoted leaders of ethnic groups and successive governments have devised divide and rule methods to keep the major ethnic groups perpetually at war with themselves and unless general unity is achieved, effective development will remain a challenge. 

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is spotlighting his attention on the Warri axis and its environs. This is very commendable, and we must all give him the necessary support to achieve a total revamp, rehabilitation, and restoration of Warri city to its rightful position. The question now is: how far will he go? Warri and its environs are becoming busy with construction works going on.

People are already praising the governor for his efforts after decades of neglect by successive administrations. Again, the question: How far can Governor Sheriff Oborevwori go? If Warri is brought to the required standard of development, it will be of great advantage to the people of Warri, the state and, indeed, Nigeria as a whole, because of its strategic positioning to diverse interests. We must, therefore, look at Warri beyond the constructions. 

The heart of Warri is its youth population. There are too many of them roaming about the streets, and they constitute nuisance not only to their fellow brothers and sisters but to genuine business interests who will help build revenues for the state. We have too many ‘deve’, community, and all types of tax forces disturbing legitimate businesses in the Warri environs, and the government must do something about them.

Create progressive youth forums, build sports centres, technical skills acquisition centres, and a lot of awareness campaigns. The only football club – Warri Wolves- we have in Warri, that used to be a source of joy to the people have been starved of funding, to the extent that they now play in the second division of the national league. This is a team that was representing the country in the CAF Champions League competition. 

Another key aspect of Warri is its ethnic mixes. Apart from Lagos, there is no other city in Nigeria that is as accommodating as the city of Warri, but that was before ethnic and tribal war-lords took over and tore the city apart. In our growing up years, nobody asked where you are from. You are only a Warri boy and a Wafarian. Once a Wafarian, always a Wafarian. The government must put institutions in place to bridge divisions amongst the indigenous ethnic groups. Traditional rulers and leaders must try to work towards harmonious living relationships amongst and between tribes/ethnic groups. In doing so, we must take into consideration justice, equity, and fairness. 

The city is also now very dirty. I believe a special body should be set up to handle enforcement of environmental rules in the city. The fines imposed will serve as veritable sources of revenue for the state and local governments. The local governments have just been granted financial autonomy. It is now left for the authorities in charge of Warri city and environs to begin to make their impact felt. We should not allow little potholes to develop into craters before we carry out remedial works on them. The NPA -Ekpan expressway is a Federal Government road, but that doesn’t mean we should allow things to get so bad without doing anything about it, as is happening now. 

The local governments also have roles to play in the rehabilitation of our youths. They should key into the Federal Government and state programmes on tackling poverty and hardship in the land, thereby making life more meaningful for the people. Warri means a lot to many people; with the sea port, oil companies base locations, the refineries, dredging activities, commercial hubs, and vibrant population. It can be brought back to its former state of glory. 

We must also not forget the rising insecurity. Setting up local security networks to curb the activities of criminals is required. The activities of criminals, especially kidnappers and armed herders  – in our farms – must be critically monitored and brought to a halt. The harassment of innocent people by our law enforcement agents, including government sanctioned agents, must be addressed. 

With these challenges taken care of, Warri will again be welcome place for visitors to feel safe and stay to do business. This will invariably promote the state’s economy. It is a challenge for the Delta State governor and his team; but with a clear focus and determination, they can recreate the picture that we all want, of a loving, peaceful and prosperous metropolitan city of Warri.

*Ikhioya wrote via: http://www.southsouthecho.com