Communication Expert Blames Infrastructural Deficit For Community Devt On Paucity Of Funds, Lack Of Political Influence

ABEOKUTA – A communication strategist and Mass Communication lecturer, Dr. Sola Haruna Adeosun has hinged under development of communities on lack of political connection and paucity of funds by government to fast track meaningful development.

Adeosun, a senior lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State disclosed this on Saturday in Abeokuta.

The researcher while delivering his lecture as a Guest Speaker at the 10th year anniversary of Spotlight Club of Ipokia said community development evolved when government at all levels cannot provide basic needs and requirements of every community simultaneuosly.

Speaking on the topic: “Community Development and Impactful Roles of Clubs and Associations in National Development”, Adeosun maintained that the endless wait for government to provide community needs, necessitate many clubs and associations to resort to self help in order to redress the lopsided infrastructural facilities.

He, however,  emphasized that the inability of government to meet the developmental needs of communities were largely due to paucity of funds,  prioritization of government development commitments, threshold requirements and more importantly political influence, political instability and absence of other complementing facilities or infrastructure.

According to him, community development tends to empower individuals and groups of people by providing skills they need to affect change in their communities.

The Baaroyin Of Agosasa, therefore, highlighted the impactful roles of clubs and associations in community development to include, Mobilising, Advocacy, Sensitisation, Legal Action, Conflict Resolution, Direct Services, Social Movements and Non Partisan Dialogue.

His words ” the factors responsible for inability of government to meet the developmental needs of communities were due to many factors such as paucity of funds, prioritization of government developmental commitments, and more importantly political influence, political instability, and resource constraints and also the general absence of other complementing facilities or infrastructure.

“Any of these or a combination of it may deprive a community of accessing or acquiring some major facility, amenity or need to the locality for use. To redress the lopsidedeness or general absence of certain infrastructure and facility, communities have come together through various associations, clubs or group sharing equal and same values towards ensuring that basic infrastructure and amenities are attracted to their communities in other to redress general Infrastructure decline noticeable in their community.

“Various clubs, associations and groups have responded in one form or the other to providing critical needs as intervention in their community rather than waiting for government to come to their aid or rescue. Moreover, it becomes more expedient for communities development based associations, clubs and groups coming together to accelerate rapid development of their communities without necessarily waiting for government.

“It is therefore important to state that the gradual emergence of clubs and associations in community development requirements can be seen as an interventionist tendency which is an urgent desire to fast track infrastructure provision and social development of their community thereby complementing government infrastructural presence in such community.

“The Sportlight Club can be seen as a social group of great and enthusiastic like minds coming together for the singular purpose of promoting accelerated community development effort”.

Dr. Adeosun urged the members of the club to ensure that the feeling or spirit of community is not destroyed.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the President, Spotlight Club of Ipokia, Mr. Abeeb Bankole blamed the proximity to the border town for the incessant smuggling among the youths of the local government.

Bankole, therefore, called on the state government to revive the state owned Polytechnic in Ipokia to stem the menace of smuggling, stressing that presence of higher institution of learning would reshapen their orientation.

According to him” we are very close to border, also we all know that presently in life you have to take education a priority , and in Ipokia local government axis, there’s no higher institution and we have to travel a very far kilometer .

“We need an higher institution so that different people will mixed together, people will come in different part of the world to study in Nigeria.

“We want the school back because if you aren’t educated, you will undoubtedly become disfigured. We need a higher institution in that location to change the mindset of the populace and show them that doing smuggling on your own is not a prerequisite for success in life. People in this area will belt up as well when they notice people traveling from far away to learn.”