Kunle Adelabu Jare Babatunde
It was big disappointment to many council officials in Ikorodu division who sacrificed their time and risk their lives to come to work to help in disinfecting their respective domains to further prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus as the team from the State expected to lead the exercise failed to arrive.
Many of the council officials arrived their respective councils’ premises as early as 7am to wait for the personnel of the ministry of the Environment and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) till late afternoon when most of them left disappointingly.
THE IMPACT gathered that the equipment to be deployed to the council areas would be handled by specially trained personnel of the ministry of the Environment and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
At Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), where our reporter covered, the council chairman, Builder Sesan Daini, his Vice Chairman, Hon. Titilola Adegboyega, members of the executive arm, honorable members of the Legislative arm, the council’s management team and health officers led by the Council’s Head of Administration, were on ground to receive the disinfectant team from the state till around 4pm.
Our reporter also reported that the Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Wasiu Adesina, and his team were also on ground to receive the team which never show up.
Also on ground at the Ikorodu LG Secretariat as at the evening time when our reporter visited was the Head of the Council’s Environment and Health Department.
It was the same story at the Ijede LCDA where the Chairman, Comrade Jimoh Fathiu, alongside his cabinet members and health officers were made to wait for longer hours for the disinfectant team to no avail.
In Ikorodu North LCDA, the situation was not different as the Chairman, Hon. Adeola Banjo, also waited endlessly for the team from the state until late afternoon.
Sources also informed that Council officials in Imota LCDA were also firmly on ground to receive the disinfectant team but later departed the council premises when the council chairman, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, reportedly left for a meeting with other council chairmen in the division in the afternoon.
A top official of Ikorodu Local government, who was directed by the chairman to speaking with THE IMPACT, stated that :
“We have been with the council chairman since morning waiting for them (disinfectant team) but we have not seen them. We were told to wait till 7pm as the team was said to be in Itire. We are still waiting”, she said.
A staff of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA that’s spoke with our reporter, stated that :
“At least you can see that we have been here since morning waiting for the team till this evening. It is quite disappointing that despite that we are ready to work because the council chairman called us out, the state team is not here. We shall return as pleaded by the chairman and council manager and we hope that they would come”, the staff stated.
THE IMPACT can authoritatively reveal that the six council chairmen in the division met today (yesterday) at the Ikorodu Local government secretariat to discuss how to effectively contain the spread of the virus and prevent it from emerging in the division.
Speaking with the Chairman of the Ikorodu Local government, Hon.Wasiu Adesina, he confirmed the meeting when asked by our reporter and revealed that they discussed how to intensify actions to stop the emergence of the disease in Ikorodu division.
“We agreed to continue the enlightenment and sensitization campaign in our various councils. It was also agreed that we must ensure that the directive of the governor on social distancing and number of people that can gather at a particular time is strictly adhere to by the populace”, he said.
“We also discussed and agreed to enforce the directive wherever it is being flouted in order to safeguard the lives of our people”.
Meanwhile, in a chat with a media aide to the Governor of Lagos State, he assured that the disinfectant team will eventually come to Ikorodu division.
He stated that the state government is doing everything to get the disinfectant equipment across to various LGAs, while also commending some councils that have taken the initiative of disinfecting their locality.
In the same vein, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA has commenced the disinfecting of pubic places across various parts of the council.
Chairman of the council, Builder Sesan Daini, speaking with our reporter, stated that the council’s health officers have started fumigating Primary Health Centres, markets and the council secretariat among other public places while the arrival of more equipment to be used for the exercise is being expected from the from the state.
