Kunle ADELABU
Residents of Ikorodu have charged Hon. Wasiu Adesina, Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Sesan Daini,Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area, Hon. (Princess) Jumoke Jimbo-Ademehin, Chairperson, Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), for urgent intervention on the bad state of inner roads in the three councils.
They urged the council bosses to pay attention to roads that are distressed and in serious need of urgent palliative measures before they totally collapsed.
Roads that need the attention of the local council authority in Ikorodu are Ireshe/Ita-Elewa road, Ota-Ona/Ita-Elewa road, Agbele road, Ikorodu Club road, Aga/Gbasemo/Solebo road, TOS Benson Avenue road by slaughter slab, Itunmoja/Sabo road, Sheriff/Igbe road, Anibaba/Solafun road, Owode road, Ojubode road, Garrage/Lowa Estate road, Ita-Elewa/Oriwu road among others.
Those in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA include Igbe/Oba Omolaja road and Obafemi Awlowo road.
In Ikorodu West LCDA, some of the bad roads are TOS Benson Avenue/Dangote road, Sekumade road, Ipakodo PHC road among others.
Some participants have called on organizations like the Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Oriwu Club, Conference of Leaders of Ikorodu Division, Resource Group, Igbogbo Development Union, Luwasa Development Union, Imota Development Union among others to get involved in advocacy in order to enable both local and state governments to be alive to there responsibilities especially on the issue of roads in the division.
Prominent and privilege individuals were also called upon to use their influence and connections in attracting the attention of concerned authorities to the affected roads for urgent actions.
Others participants also called on the community to continue to embark on self-help projects since government has failed in its responsibilities.
The local council authorities were also tasked to take advantage of the asphalt plant in Imota in getting bad roads across the division fixed on regular basis.
The issue was presented for discourse on THE IMPACT Newspaper’s whatssAp platform by Mr Oluwakemi Hassan who called attention to some bad roads in the three councils.
While calling the attention of the council chairmen and the general public to the state of the roads, Mr Hassan had stated:
“Major bad spots noticed are Ipakodo road (opposite the police station), Oriwu Model College road (by the school main gate), Civil Service Model College road, Igbogbo, Ireshe road, Ita-Elewa road by Exclusive Blub house, Alhaji street road by Ladega, Itumoja road towards Sabo market.
“Please, the people in charge should do something about this.We know they cannot give us new roads but at least they should work on these roads and fix the bad spots”, he appealed.
Otunba Ganiu Abiru, the Cahirman, Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), while responding, stated: “Pallatives are doable. That Igbogbo road is deteriorating on a daily basis. Something must be done immediately to safe the road from total collapse”.
Comrade Oloyede, a community activist, stated: “Bravo. You expressed my thoughts this morning as I rode through town outward bound. I had plan to call their attention to this as we have done severally in the past.
He also enjoined IKODASS as well as other organizations and individuals to engage in advocacy especially concerning the state of our roads and other facilities by putting pressure on the government to do the nedful.
Bolaji Isikalu, while also contributing, stated: “All the roads in Ikorodu are bad with the exception of Ibeshe Road and Borokinni Street in Aga. Effort should be made to compel our representatives to use their offices to ensure that palliatives are done on these roads.
Also contributing to the discussion, Mr Monday Ohi Obadan, another community activist in Igbogbo, stated:
“ Offin-Oreta-Igbogbo axis’ major road needs total reconstruction but for palliative measures – Consteng House through to Offin Junction needs urgent attention.”
He also called on Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA Chairman to ensure that water outlet is provided.
“Please, even if it is to provide water outlet or drainages so that water would not stagnate on the road,that would be sufficient in the meantime”.
Another resident, Alh Taiwo Odumbo, stated: “It’s high time we put our government on there toes to do the needful. We repair our roads, buy transformer, contribute money for installation, do street drainage, engage security for protection of our lives and property, etc and yet we are paying taxes. What else are they going to do for us?
Otunba Babatunde, also contributing, condemned the state of feeder roads in the community and called on the community to embark on self-help measures in fixing some of the roads.
“Are we not daily witnessing state of utter disrepair of even feeder roads in our community?
“Do we need to cry to defy governments prevalent in our milieu when it is evident we need to hear and help ourselves in basic social services?” he added.
Madam Funke Awoyemi, a chieftain of Igbe Community Development Association in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, while contributing, stated that the community has expended millions of naira in putting palliative measures on the road in their area but all to no avail.
“Millions of naira have been spent on Igbe road by CDAs affected.
“My immediate CDAs created a diversion and a very long culvert purposely to de-flood the road. We also fill those points with crushed stones just to make it passable.
“Other CDAs constructed a long culvert and never ceased to fill the big holes on the road. As we speak, there’s nothing to indicate work has been done on this road at a time”.
She called on the government to perform its duties while stating that the community associations are doing everything possible to safeguard the social amenities.
Responding to our query online, Mr Yusuf Gbadebo, the Supervisory Councilor in charge of Works in Ikorodu Local Government, stated that the council would soon be embarking on palliative measures on three of the roads soon.
“We are embarking on palliative measures on three roads and it will be a continuous exercise”, Mr Gbadebo stated.
He also stated that Gbasemo is one of the three roads listed by the council for palliative measures.
Speaking with Mr Ade Bolowotan, Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, he stated that they are equally touched by the sufferings which the people are going through on daily basis on the roads in Ikorodu division due to there bad conditions and that the council is ready to do the needful on roads within its jurisdiction.
He pointed out that the only militating factor against the commencement of the council’s intervention on Ikorodu-Igbogbo (Oba Omolaja road) is the incessant rainfall.
“The council has awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Igbogbo road starting from Oriwu College to Igbogbo township but we cannot commence work until the rain stops.
“We are advised by the engineer to wait till after the raining season and even the officials of the Ministry of Works came when they heard that we have awarded the contract and also advised that we wait till the rain subsides”, he added.
