Development Truths

Going into these schools in the rural areas in Bayelsa State has clarified the importance of  Nigeria's 3 tier government style. The federal and state government do not have long enough hands to cover every community in the State, hence the need for local governments who are directly linked to these rural communities. I now believe that the local government election is the most important for Nigeria's everyday people. Funny how we do not pay attention to it.

Our CDA Project Team visited Ebedebiri, Angalabiri and Kabeama communities in Sagbama Local Government, Bayelsa State. We accessed Ebedebiri by road but we had to take a boat to the other 2 communities. The boat rides were short this time around, good thing!

Are CDA STARS listening to me?

In the schools, I intimate the randomly selected students, who are now CDA STARS, (visit bayelsacdastars.com), on the project. These students are usally well behaved, they stand up to chorus good morning Ma", wait till they are told to sit down and wait patiently for me to start talking.




Some are extremely timid to answer my questions such as "what do you want to be when you grow up". I now understand how relieved teachers feel when a student lifts up his hand to answer. (Phewww I am communicating!)

Someone answers, finally!

In Angalabiri community, however, the students were more relaxed and bold. They joked with me and were eager to answer questions. I wonder if this is a function of how they are regarded in the community? Are they treated more like adults than in other communites? This is a point for further reasearch. One general physical trait amongst the students in all the schools we have visited so far, is the financial lack that shouts at you. Their uniforms are old and torn in some instances, revealing the lack of their parents. Another prevailing feature crossing the communities is the low moral standard. In some communities the parents complained that the students have no interest in studying and believe they do not need an education to succeed. In one community, the parents asked us to speak to the CDA STARS on the need to work hard, avoid bad deeds and- for the girls especially- keep oneself, so that they can collect the money the Bayelsa State Government is saving for them in the bank account under this project when they graduate from Secondary (High) School. The common social ills the parents complained of include teen pregnancy and truancy.

CDA STARS after school club work book

One of the teachers to participate in the CDA STARS after school club said that he has noticed a lot more enthusiasm for school work from the students since the after school club started. He said the students normally close school at 2pm and are left to their own devices from then. With the after school club to hold every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in a month, they remain in school till 4pm and practice what they are taught in the clubs subsequently. The curriculum of the CDA STARS after school club include:learning about your community, country, world; the need to work hard; all about money; all about saving.

Developmental projects should be all encompassing. In Bayelsa, there is a moral and attitude problem- which His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva has rightly identified- that needs to be changed. We need more projects like the CDA STARS project that will teach growing children the need to work hard and aim high. It is clear that young ones, especially in the rural areas, lack motivation and desperately need mentoring programs.

LEAVE US ALONE

The Federal and State Governments cannot do it all. We need to demand performance from our local government chairmen. There was an advert sponsored by one of the non-political groups during the 2011 elections campaign, where the people in a community drove out the incumbent Prado jeep driving, agbada wearing local government chairman, when he returned from his overseas residence, just to give them rice to vote him back as chairman. The people refused his rice, told him of the ills they had suffered whilst he sojourned abroad with the community's money and physically pushed him out of the community. The advert ended by showing the various development projects the newly elected local government chairman had implemented a few years after, which the people were enjoying. It is time for us to demand that our local government chairmen do their work so the rural communities can directly feel the hands of Government.



This solely sponsored Bayelsa State Governement project is the Bayelsa State Governor's laudable effort to touch the people directly, we need our local government chairmen to do more.

CDA STARS brings good news indeed!