Kunle Adelabu
The President of the umbrella body of all youth organizations in Igbogbo, Igbogbo Youth Coalition (IYC), Mr Gbenga Odunniyi, has charged the Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Association (LCDA) to take drastic measure in tackling flooding problem that has been facing the community in recent time.
He issued this charge in a recent chat with THE IMPACT.
Mr Odunniyi also urged the council to embark on construction of drainages and stabilise damaged roads with hardcore and pebbles as palliative measures.
While commending the council administration under Builder Sesan Daini, he also stated that the young chairman can do better in bringing about further development in Igbogbo.
The IYC President also stated that the body is committed to ensuring that youths in lgbogbo community are empowered and also that the attention of major stakeholders are drawn to issues affecting Igbogbo for necessary actions among other engagements.
“The last three years of this administration has been good but they can do better, especially in the area of environment”, he said while analyzing the Builder Daini’s administration of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA in the last three years.
“Going by what most parts of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA experienced during the heavy downpour that happened about four weeks ago, there is a need for a drastic measure to arrest the flooding challenges that have besieged our community.
“If I cannot move out of my house whenever there is rainfall, that is very pathetic. Does that show that we have a government in place?”, he asked.
He said that the government should put in place palliative measures to ensure that residents’ homes and roads are not flooded if the council does not have the financial capacity to construct a proper road network.
“If the council is saying that it does not have the financial capacity to arrest the situation, there must be palliative measures to safeguard people’s lives.
“The council can embark on construction of drainages pending the time that we would have full construction of roads”, he suggested.
“They can also stabilize most of the impassable roads with hardcore and rubbles so that vehicles can move whenever it is raining. We are only asking for palliative measures to allow residents move in and out of their homes”, IYC President said.
“The council still has a lot to do in respect of our roads during the raining period and after. There are ditches along Bayeku road. I cannot even begin to talk about the state of Offin road. You cannot even ply the road”.
Odunniyi also challenged the state government to come to the rescue of the council and ensure that lives and properties of residents are not further destroyed but safeguarded from destruction by flood.
“We are also expecting more from the state government in the area of clearing of the canals to ensure that there is free – flow of waste water and flood whenever there is rainfall.
“They should also assist the council in construction of drainages where there are none. Most importantly, the state government should ensure that our roads like Igbogbo – Bayeku road, lgbogbo – Offin/Oreta road and others, are made motorrable with functioning drainage systems and other facilities”, he said.
Speaking on how IYC is mobilising youths for development, Mr Odunniyi said that the body has facilitated skill acquisition programmes for youths but that their training was suspended for now due to COVID 0 19 challenges.
He also said that the body is liaising with the local council authority on giving good governance to the people.
“IYC, as the umbrella body of all youths organizations in Igbogbo, has been mobilsing youths for development in Igbogbo. If not for the outbreak of the COVID – 19 pandemic, we would have done a lot”, he said.
“We have been able to contact the LCDA on how to do the necessary things and make life more comfortable for residents.
“Another area that is of great priority to us is youth development. We are doing everything to develop human resources in the community to harness the capital resources. The two complement each other and our aim is to maximize them for development of lgbogbo.
“We have done some programmes before the outbreak of the pandemic. One of them is youth empowerment with vocational training at the Rotary Vocational Centre in Igbogbo. If not for COVID – 19 that stopped their activities, most of them would have been skilled in various vocations and will doing something good for themselves.
“We are still mobilizing them to get them equipped before we start moving in a particular direction and taking positions. They need to be equipped before they can be able to fight for any course in the community.
“We have also been engaging stakeholders in the community by writing them on the state of the community and also strategizing on other areas to address numerous challenges facing lgbogbo”, he said while highlighting the efforts of IYC so far in ensuring development in Igbogbo.
Meanwhile, Builder Sesan Daini, the Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, has officially appealed to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, and relevant government agencies for intervention on the threatening flooding problems in the council.
THE IMPACT also gathered that the council boss has also made personal contact with the Commissioner and other personnel in the Ministry of Environment for quick intervention on the matter.
Builder Daini also enjoined residents to understand the importance of abstaining from indiscriminate dispose of waste in the drains and canals which usually lead to blockade of drainages and eventually flooding and erosion across the council.
More so, he assured that his administration is committed to ensuring provision of good drainage system for free flow of water and for prevention of further flooding of homes and roads across the council.
