MY SOCIAL CONTRACT WITH WARRI SOUTH CONSTITUENCY 1: A ROAD MAP TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Background
As a constituent and keen observer of the development in Warri South Constituency 1 for the past decade or more, I have been compelled by my love for the constituency to take a bold step towards contributing my quota to the improvement of the lives of the common people who have been labouring desperately and persistently under failed political promises.

The 2015 cycle of elections presents us with a unique opportunity to change the tide by keying into “the change we can trust”.

It has always been and will ever remain my flair in life, to work for the advancement of humanity; as my cardinal conviction about life remains that “Faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life… service to humanity is the best work of life” (lines from the JCI Creed); which fact can easily be attested to, by those who have always known me even as a child growing up in one of the most rural communities in our constituency, Ekurede Itsekiri. As for those who do not know me very well, I have this to say; “a man cannot hide his true nature for long”. As we begin to associate, you will see how far this faith in God has taken me. I urge you to find sufficient time to read through the flyers on my personal history available both online and in hard copies that have been widely circulated.

Besides, in this age of a shrinking global community, my activities are just a Google search away from you. Please, do help yourself with a search, should you have the need to do so. While I do not deny my own fair share of the human imperfections, I have always found encouragement in the words of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; “A man’s greatness is not measured by the height he has risen to, but by the depth he has risen from”.

We all have sufficient testimonies of the quality of representation that we have experienced in the constituency for the past 12 (Twelve) years or more. Albert Einstein, the renowned German-born scientist offered a very apt definition of insanity that reads as follows; “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” One thing I know for sure is that we are not a group of mad people. Hence, I do not think we will continue to do things in the same old way.

Without the slightest intention of demeaning the achievements of the incumbent representative of our constituency during this period, any objective person will find it easy to agree with me, that given the derivative resources at the disposal of the State within the period in view; contrasted with the outcome of the policy decisions and developmental processes in our dear constituency, the constituency could have recorded a fairer impact on the lives of its people. Besides, it might be useful to borrow from the thoughts of Albert Einstein; “Problems cannot be solved with the same mind-set that created them.” Therefore, it is not in doubt that those who have been a part and parcel of the problem cannot provide us with the desired solution even where they change their clothing as many times as they wish. That is why the words of divine counsel is expedient in our case; ‘New wine is put in new wineskin’.
I have as a result of the above situation, christened the alternative for which I today present myself, as follows: “THE CHANGE WE CAN TRUST”, not just change, but change which we can trust. This, I have done principally because I am not oblivious of the fact that many will brandish the word; “Change” to curry your support in the next days and weeks ahead. It is therefore, a call to all of us to define the kind of “Change” we want and ensure that the “Change” we finally elect is one that we can trust and relate with harmoniously.
I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that if we do this, we will almost certainly get the election of our representative right this time around as we will then place at the top of our criteria the following considerations; capacity, capability, antecedents and preparedness to be subject to the scrutiny of the common man and woman in the constituency. This is why I present myself to you; to urge you to ask questions; to “shine your eyes very well” this time around.

Based on one of the most harmful errors we have made in the past, kindly allow me to share with us this little arithmetic:

There are 365 days in a year and 4years in the tenure of a member of the House of Assembly. That means a total of 1460 days in the 4 years. So when an aspirant gives you N50,000 to vote him in and for the next 4 years you cannot call him/her and/or talk to him/her and yet he is your representative; then remember that the N50,000 amounts only to N34.24 per day. This is far less than the 1 dollar poverty benchmark as prescribed by the World Bank. So when you agree to sell your vote again, know that you are not only keeping yourself below poverty line but making it impossible for you to hold your representatives accountable. Let’s think twice!

I have had occasions to ask constituents in public meetings whether if Warri South Constituency 1 were an airplane on which they were boarded they would entrust the piloting to a person who is not a certified pilot, either because the person is of the same political party, religion or club? While the answer remains a capital a NO, I leave the rest to your conscience as we prepare for this cycle of elections.

For the sole reason that I believe that it is a bad attitude to criticise, without proffering an alternative, I will briefly like to give an insight into how the representation of this constituency could have been better done in this past years and can in fact be better done in the next administration. Hence we now proffer the following road map to a better Warri South Constituency 1:

(1) There would be periodic interactions, interface, communication between the people and their representative which to the best of my memories has been absent in the constituency for the period in view. This would have had the effect of guiding the representative on the priorities of the people and the currency of their situation.

(2) A regime of value proposition would be created through policies designed to open up the development space for corporate organizations operating in the area to partner in the socio-economic development of our dear constituency. Let me hasten to say, that as a result of the elaborate social research that I have conducted around the constituency in the course of performing my functions as a development consultant, I am aware that this is a huge potential waiting to be tapped.

(3) There would be genuine relationship-building and development of partnership with foreign development organizations in addressing the socio-economic needs of the area.

(4) Development projects and programs would be research based for sustainable development.

The deepest pain I have felt in all these has been that I like many constituents; have never been able to access the representative of our constituency to share these thoughts because the access is simply not there. And this I believe should not continue with the next cycle of elections. There is the need for a change!

This road map and strategic direction is one that bears in mind amongst other things, the economic principle that our resources are limited in supply as opposed to our wants that are unlimited. Hence, the currency of approach globally is captured in the acronym PPP (Public Private Partnership).

In our own peculiar case, there are many corporate organizations with robust corporate social responsibility annual budget which could easily be tapped into to augment scarce government resources with a view to bringing about the improvement of the living standards of the people of this constituency.

As a common man of this area, who grew up in the very late 70’s and the early 80’s and one who witnessed the developments in the 90s and thereafter, I can say authoritatively that comparing those days with today, we have seen far better days both in the sphere of human, capital and infrastructural development as well as human security.

We appear to in fact be increasingly deteriorating not because our resources are dropping but because we have elected to sacrifice quality on the altar of political dynasty and sectional loyalty.

We complain of not having sufficient time to register and vote; not having sufficient patience to stand and let our votes be counted. As another opportunity presents itself in this new cycle of elections, I call our attention to the statement of Thomas Edison; “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overall and looks like work”. I need us to remember that government exists because we want it to; and the quality of government that exist is determined by the degree of work we are prepared to do by way of determining the quality of representation that emerges from our constituency.

We are therefore responsible for what will happen in this new cycle of election in our constituency. I call on each and every constituent of this constituency to ensure that we do all we can not to have cause to complain for another decade.

2. Mission and Vision

Mission Statement
To develop and promote the relationship between the constituents and their representative in the House for a more people oriented and people centered policies and development process in Warri South Constituency 1, Delta State.
Vision
To achieve a legacy of sustainable development across the constituency. Under this vision, I will advocate and promote:
1. The use of participatory approach to ensure that the constituents are carried along in the prioritization, design, implementation, and evaluation of project activities.

2. The integration of gender participation and awareness of gender issues into project design and implementation to foster equitable participation and benefits for both men and women.

3. The inclusion of mandatory environmental and social impact assessment into project development and execution.

4. The harnessing of opportunities to complement projects with additional socio-economic benefits.

5. A regime of value proposition to open up the development space for corporate organizations operating in the constituency to partner in the socio-economic development of the constituency.

6. Genuine relationship-building and development of partnership with foreign development organizations in addressing the socio-economic needs of the constituency.

7. Development projects based on social research and peace building.

3. Strategic Point Agenda

The strategic point:
• Collaborate with the executive to foster sustainable economic development within the constituency.
• Collaborate with the executive to empower communities in the constituency to generate a broad range of support from government at other levels, non-governmental and international partners.
• Collaborate with the executive to increase the capacity of key government and community organs at the grassroot levels to generate sustainable development for the constituency.
• Demonstrate how real collaboration between various stakeholders can generate more effective results in addressing the community needs and development challenges.

In order to achieve this purpose, I will structure the activities within the following distinct agenda including:
• An economic development agenda focused on generating sustainable economic opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises.

• A capacity building agenda that will support institutional strengthening for local and community based organisations.

• A peace-building agenda that fosters stability in vulnerable and conflict-impacted communities.

• An analysis & advocacy agenda that seeks to promote analysis, understanding and awareness of socio-economic needs in the constituency and identify strategies for addressing them.

Conclusion:

I have advocated and obtained Community status for 3 new communities in Warri without being in power. I have also influenced foreign scholarships for 4 young constituents currently studying abroad. As a human rights lawyer I fought for redress for numerous oppressed young constituents including some are here today supporting our cause. I have prosecuted free of charge cases for numerous communities within and outside the constituency. I was the coordinator of one of the most successful summer school sessions ever organized by NAIS. I am ranked most successful NAIS president OAU chapter. I have assisted a couple of communities to attain host status to multinational companies. I now seek a better platform to do more as member representing us in DTHA Warri South Constituency 1. Let’s bring back our past glory!
Vote Barrister Ariyo Robinson! Vote quality not sentiment!!