Prior to and even upon assumption of office as the Governor of Anambra State, grassroots development had been the nucleus of efforts and models of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. To further drive it down, recently, Governor Soludo inaugurated the Transition Committee Chairmen for the twenty-one local government areas of Anambra state. Needless to say that the local government system, shepherds development to the people at the grassroots level.
During the inauguration, Governor Soludo reiterated that his administration’s approach to governance is Bottom-Top model. He had said during the ceremony: “We are looking for extraordinary services to be delivered to the people because we are looking up to you as the team that takes the Soludo Solution to the grassroots -from below. We get that transformation from below; to our communities, our towns, our villages, the rural people, that woman selling pepper along the road, that vulcanizer out there, that hawker on the street, the okada rider, the keke driver, the woman who fries akara, and so on. That’s the essence. These are people we want to change their lives. That’s why government exists”. He has also many times spoken about the Public-Private, Community-Partnerships, PPCP model, Neni-Nnewi model as clear examples of this bottom-top developmental approach.
Grassroots developmental approach promotes inclusiveness and resilience. It offers a space for communities to address local issues, find common ground and balance competing interests. The experiences at the grassroots throughout the world have portrayed that solutions to underdevelopment necessarily focus on the negligence of the people ‘down there’. Improved techniques, machines and infrastructure mean little without a corresponding improvement in the political status of the poor who are sadly, more in number. Frankly speaking, without increased political power of the poor, technical solutions often aggravate existing inequalities.
In the 1970s “popular participation” emerged as the answer to the inefficiency and inequities of development. Seeing the need for greater control by the poor over the processes that affect their lives, some development organizations began to incorporate local inputs into the planning and implementation of projects.
But, where do we begin if the process demands a restructuring of power relationships to give greater control to the poor? Obviously, the process is multifaceted, with many levels of necessary action. But the basic point remains that the grassroots is one essential actor in this process of rounded development. Sadly, many governments shy away from this.
The grassroots serve as primary vehicles for popular participation in social and economic development. In societies where citizens’ involvement in local or national policies is limited, such grassroots organizations (which ought to be the government), may serve as the only means for participation.
Summarily, the philosophy is very simple of the bottom-top approach to development is simple. It says that If an outsider is willing to come and help by grabbing the bull’s tail, that’s great. But the grassroots are the ones who have to grab the bull by the horns. Therefore, Ndi Anambra, the solution is here. But, the solution can only succeed if we own it and be the chief promoters of this changes that is being implemented by the state government and if such changes begin from our communities.
Written by EJIKE ABANA
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