Editorial

It is an inevitable fact that for any meaningful development to be attained, there must be a collective endeavour from the citizenry of a nation. It is in the same way evident that the top-down development approach has proven a failed strategy and unsustainable development methodology. Solutions are found when responsibilities are diversified and delegated.

It is in recognition of these facts that our government continues on its decentralization programs. During his address to deputies at the State Opening of the National Assembly, the president informed our legislators that despite the stumbling blocks, the government is still pushing ahead with the decentralization program. The president went further to reveal that plans are underway to downsize some municipalities and regions so as to promote efficiency in service delivery for meaningful development.

At this crucial time that the government is galvanizing efforts to register success in the rural development project and the Poverty Reduction Strategic Program, devolution of powers and functions from the central government to the regional level can serve as a catalyst in materializing such projects. This is because at the regional level, those who are vested with the powers to mobilize and implement development projects are closer to the people and are more au-fait with their needs and aspirations.

They can perform better in mobilizing the masses to participate fully in the implementation of their own development projects. This will in turn hasten the socio-economic transformation that we are all yearning for; since the success of a development program depends on the degree to which a population is motivated. This again depends on how much their interest and their felt needs are taken into account, and to what extent they are involved in the planning and decision-making process.

Another important point that attracts our attention is the president’s remark on the sky rocketing rent cost. The president indicated that the rent decree (Decree 67) is being subjected to review and will soon be tabled before the National Assembly. We are optimistic that this will be done as soon as possible. The rental fees for houses are exorbitantly high, as some unscrupulous elements of the society take advantage of the housing difficulties, due to the high rate of urban congestion.

At this time that our Poverty Reduction Strategic Program is at its peak, if we want the house that we are building to become a home, such exploitative acts should be discouraged. It is not every person that can own a compound. We have to be tolerant of each other. Such exorbitant rents will only fuel the exacerbation of poverty as many more will be forced to sleep in the streets due to the inability to meet rent demands. However, with a decentralized society, all of this can be curbed.

Therefore, decentralization brings about equitable development, as equal participation in the development process is ensured. It is our duty as citizens to support the government in its decentralization plans for effective and efficient development. As human beings, we will be judged by what we have contributed to the advancement of our society and not what society has done for us.