In 2018, the Delta sate government pumped hundreds of millions into this project. This is Bendel steel, a government owned company, which should pass as an infrastructure.
After the supposed revamping of Bendel steel, it became a private-public partnership affair, with the Delta state government reserving 20% shares. This picture was snapped by me on the 6th of January 2024.
This is supposed to be a functioning company that has gulped hundred of millions of Deltans commonwealth, but this is it here.
Let me show you guys an abracadabra.
This is the back road leading to the Bendel steel, not motorable and abandoned.
This is the front road and gate of the Bendel steel company. That blue gate you are seeing is the entrance.
I hope you guys are seeing the deceit? Nice, stay with me.
This is a collapsed fence at the back entrance of the Bendel Steel company and how I gained entrance into the premises
Until this moment, this fence has not been fixed in a supposed functioning company.
The most painful thing about infrastructures such as this is that some government officials will intentionally kill and destroy it, then end up buying it.
While some would revamp and run it with the proceeds going into their private coffers, others will use it as an illegal means of stealing from our common wealth.
There's a nationwide protest currently going on in Nigeria, and I'm sure by now some of you are already tired of having to always read about the Nigerian problem, I am tired too because we deserve better, but we never get better.
What are Nigerians protesting about?? The basics. Even God will be surprised how much we persevere as we literally beg for the basics in my country. It's a no-brainer that infrastructure is the backbone of every economy.
For an economy to function effectively or at Optimal speed, we need viable infrastructures such as good road networks for mobility and ease of business, electricity for power and cheaper alternatives to running the corporate, finance and business world.
We require a functioning educational system and health care to improve and increase the efficiency of our human capital. But we do not really get these things in bit talk more of getting them on a platter. And it's not a financial issue, but greed. It is this greed that has led to unequal distribution of wealth and a continuous gap in our level of income.
I live in a community with over 22 functioning oil companies and other multinational businesses. We all know what that means right? But let me shock you, the presence of these companies have not in any way translated to growth and development in the community.
Year in, year out, the community remains the same with nothing to write home about.
One major thing we struggle with in the community is bad road. All the link roads are bad which have left several businesses struggling.
Three years ago, I was looking for a shop to start up a petty trade then I saw one close by, but I could not go through with it as a result of the bad road which have rendered it not motorable.
Given the nature of the business I was interested in at the time, I will not get the needed clientele, so I aborted the mission.
I was even making a move then to see how I could get the Representative in charge of the area to get the government to work on the road, but what I discovered left me in shock.
There's a street before the bad spot began, and that street was also terrible and almost not motorable. In that street, there's a Church and the head pastor whose also the owner of the church is a house of rep member representing a neighboring LGA.
Being that the bad road in the street was gradually becoming a stumbling block to the numbers of people turning up for Church activities, he related with a resident of the area who resides abroad, and the road was interlocked. It became the best road in our area then and this Pastors/Rep member did not stop bragging about it, how he's from another LGA but still used his influence to get things done in the community I reside in.
This action of the pastor, cost us a viable road as the Representatives and politicians of the community where I reside said it's a slap on their face for that reason they will not be working on a major link road that leads to his church. Silly right? Yes, very silly, and we all the masses are busy suffering the consequences of their silliness. As much as I wanted to press on and fight for that road to be repaired, my mother talked me out of it, she reminded of my daughter and advised me to not dabble in the fight of the rich else I get crush.
Fortunately, I was able to get a shop at a better location, so I just let the whole thing slide, unfortunately.
It's been over 6 years and the road is still left untouched, probably no one is making a fuss about it as there are other alternatives with other link roads but then, this particular route that has been left abandoned would have been the best link road and easily accessible in my area.
It should be worthy to note that before the 6-7years, the road has been bad, it's been fixed thrice by NDDC with substandard materials that are always washed off once it rains.
Hopefully, with the ongoing protest, the fire continues to burn as we fight for what we deserve.
Less I forget, it's hive power up day, and I was able to power up 20hive after many failed attempts to convert some of my HBD to Hive. I later gave up when I saw the conversion will take three days to actualize.
In the end, I just settled with my already existing 20hive. Hopefully, next month we could do 100hive.
All Images are mine
Thank you for reading me 💕