Anambra Hotels Deteriorating Access Roads By Polycarp Onwubiko

There is groundswell of discontent by the operators in   the private sector of the economy in Anambra state over the quantum increase of government fees and levies. The  increase of the fees and levies was to jack up internally generated revenues [IGR] to make up for the dwindling monthly revenue allocations from the federation account due the plummeting receipts from crude oil  revenues, since Nigeria operates a mono-product economy.

The former finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had admonished the leadership of all the tiers of government to be prudent in the management of public fund due to the volatility in the international oil price. The admonition went unheeded due to financial malfeasance and mindless impunity in governance.

Anambra state government was however justified in seeking ways to shore up the IGR so as to meet up with increasing responsibilities of government, more so as pertaining to the recurrent and capital provisions in the 2015   budget. What is worrisome is the deteriorating condition of basic infrastructures like roads in the rural areaswhile government had increased fees and levies and embarked on an unconscionable crack down on commercial motor cyclists and tri-cyclists.

 For instance in Awka capital city, commercial motor-cyclists were unjustifiably barred from plying Author Eze avenue and Zik’s avenue while the two roads  are  not busy and had never recorded  automobile accidents. The ban against motor-cyclists on the Onitsha-Enugu express road is reasonable and understandable. The ban has drastically reduced the daily income of these low income earners. As if the thoughtless rule was not enough, the tri-cyclists were barred from carrying passenger in the front seat on  the untenable reason  that the tri-cycle would lose balance. The fact is that the tri-cycle maintains its balance due to the creatively extended seat so as to achieve balance with the three passengers at the back seat.
The irrational rule has reduced the daily earnings of the operators, even as the pay divers higher fees and levies to the government; in addition to the daily obligatory levies to their association.

The hoteliers in Anambra state are battling with three contending worries namely: increased sundry government levies and feesand the deteriorating access roads to their business premises. Due to the apparent lawlessness of the immediate past state government in Anambra state, local government council statutory monthly allocations were being hijacked in addition to taken over all the viable sources oflocal government IGR. Consequently, the third tier of government in Anambra state merely existed in name, while their statutory duties and responsibilities like rehabilitation and reconstruction of community roads, reconstruction of markets, primary schools, community public health centers and monitoring of sanitation etc. suffered neglect.

Most of the high class hotels are located  along the streets and roads in the urban and semi-urban towns where the  streets and  roads are deteriorating as rainy seasons come and go without the quick intervention of the state government in spite of the fact that it collects the monthly statutory allocations plus the IGR due to the local governments councils which they would have used to rehabilitate the streets and roads but the state government  leaves the impression that it is bankrolling all the roads in the communities that make up the local government areas.

Lamenting the dwindling patronage as a result of the ever deteriorating streets and roads to their hotels, some of the hoteliers interviewed by this writer  appealed to the Anambra state government to hands-off the local government council monthly statutory revenue allocations and IGR so as to enable them  to  discharge their statutory obligations like reconstruction and even palliative work on the  community inter village roads, semi-urban and even urban streets so as to enhance communications and economic activities, even when some communities are now cut off. The manager of Grace Royal suites hotel at No. 1 Grace  Royal Suites close, off Barr. Ike Onyejiaka avenue, Okpuno Awka capital territory, Mr. Chris Nwosu said that the deteriorating access street has dampened the zeal for the building of the hotel. He appealed to Governor Willy Obiano to re-order his priorities and address the woeful state of basic infrastructures like inter-connecting roads, streets and water supply  in urban and semi-urban towns in the state. The supervisor of De-Limit Lodge at No. 1 Delimit avenue off old INEC road Okpuno, Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuzoba, lamented that when there is public events in Awka, visitors complain bitterly about bad access roads to hotels where they would lodge, even as these hotels lose patronage compared to when the roads were in good condition.

The managing director of May-Roses five-star hotel along KABE secondary school  Amawbia Awka capital territory, Chief Ifeanyi Nwokoye and an APC political stalwart,  decried a situation where very important inter-connecting roads in Awka capital city which could ameliorate traffic miasma along Onitsha-Enugu express way and Zik’s avenue, more so when a traffic light was thoughtlessly installed at Zik’s  avenue/Nibo junction, are not given attention.The traffic light should be dismantled since there was no need for it. Vehicles waiting the green light line up directly in front of the office the Commissioner of Police which is not good for security.

Chief Nwokoye said that the road passing through his hotel was constructed during the colonial days and was the first  road  to Agulu, Adazi and Ekwulobia, adding that the reconstruction of the road  would save the traffic congestion at Amawbia round-about, especially during  festive periods and big public events. Other high class hotels in Awka capital city where access roads is a source of regret for visitors who lodge in hotels are City-Mark hotel, Nibo, Irish Garden Suites Ltd at No. 1 Madu close by Ifite road etc.
The fact remains that Governor Obiano administration should heed  to the stern admonition of President Muhammadu Buhari to all the governors who are still brazenly hijacking local government council allocations through the so-called Joint state/local government account. The governor should no longerdeny the operators of the third tier system of government  their statutory monthly allocations thus preventing  them from exercising their statutory duties and responsibilities. The monstrous illegalities has subjected Ndi Anambra to privations. For instance, all the roads in the 177 communities in Anambra state are impassable since local governments cannot reconstruct and rehabilitate the roads due to impunity of hijacking the local government council statutory allocations and their IGR. There is a no way state government who makes ducks and drakes with local government allocations   can over-see all the roads in their states. The delusional, dubious and irrational practice of doling out N1.5Million naira every December to the president generals of town unions  for the so-called palliative work on rural roads by the past governor and thoughtlessly copied by the present one should stop. The elected chairmen of the local governments councils have what it takes to award contracts on the community roads and other public projects in the communities in their council  areas.

Mr. Onwubiko is an author and a public affairs analyst, Awka Anambra state.