Newly appointed director of the Warri/ Uvwie/ Environs Development Agency (WUEDA), Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay has said that "toes" will be stepped on to achieve the needed development in the oil city and environs.
According to him, previous governments have tried to advance the city's look, as well as providibg other social amenities, but failed due to no base for "succeeding governments to build on.
"Before now, there was no strong base for Warri development. All approaches were ad-hoc. But in the wisdom of the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, there was need to establish something that is permanent and in his words, he wants ‘a holistic’ development. Not just about drainage or roads but cutting across social services including health, environment, education and everything about Warri to be handled by one agency."
He further explained that the state governor established the agency in an effort "to hold one organization responsible for what is happening (developmental strides)" in Warri.
The former SSG assured that the agency will take a holistic approach towards the development of Warri, bearing in mind the "sensitivity" of the people, just as he called on them to be ready to make the sacrifice for Warri to become beautiful.
"I responded to some questions during my swearing in reception which is still causing ripples and of course, that is the way it is going to go. We cannot put a new edifice on top a decaying one. If we wish to develop Warri and its environs, we need to clean it first and in the cause of doing that, there will be some displacements.
"For instance, a modern market has been built, but some people chose not to use the market, but to trade on the road side. Of course, we must tell them no, you have a market. Take a shop and sell your wares there. When I say we are going to step on toes, it does not mean we are going to deprive people of what is their right.
"We also know that there are a lot of illegal buildings cutting across natural water ways. Such buildings must go down. We cannot protect one man’s business and let the generality of the people suffer; the future of a whole generation of people. You cannot talk of building drainages when some people are building on water ways. So there are a lot of issues we will look at.
"Why should Warri be a city of caravans? That we must also address. People just get lands and the next thing is to erect caravans and start business. It is not perfect for the aesthetics of any city. We all say, Dubia is beautiful, London and New York and a retinue of other world renowned cities. Why can’t we make Warri beautiful by putting in effort?
"This is the only country where people run away from paying taxes but expect everything from government. Can it work? It’s not about saying government has not done it. What have you done in your own way to make things right? People should be ready for changes, and it cannot come by without some people making sacrifice," the WUEDA director stated.
However, he noted that the organization will be doing some paper work and sensitization on projects to be carried out for the next three months to enable it effectively take on the tasks ahead.
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