Kunle Adelabu
-Community commends project, promise to protect Facilities
Residents of Ikorodu, especially the sports family that are expectant of first major functional sporting facilities in the history of the Division, have been assured that the ongoing redevelopment and upgrading of the Ita – Elewa Recreational Centre to a mini – stadium, will be completed and delivered by February this year.
When completed, the centre will have a 5 –aside football pitch with concrete spectator stand, basketball and lawn tennis courts in addition to the already existing table tennis hall.
The redevelopment of the centre to a mini – stadium is being facilitated by the representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon Babajimi Adegoke Benson who ensured that project was included in the 2020 budget of the federation among other projects in his constituency.
The project started in November 2020 and it’s expected to be completed in 12 weeks.
Engr. Maxwell, the site Engineer in-charge of the project, speaking with THE IMPACT when our reporter visited the site on Monday, January 4, 20021, said that he felt honoured to be the one handling the project and commended the host community for their support and cooperation.
He assured the two – term lawmaker and residents of Ikorodu that the project is on course and will be delivered as promised.
“I feel very honoured handling this project which will add greatly to my career and to the host community. I am glad that l’m being able to handle a project of this nature.
“It has been really impressive because the community, especially youths, are really glad at the rate of work that has been done on the site. They usually come around to see what we are doing.
“We have been working day and night from Mondays through Sundays just for us to deliver the project on time even before the estimated time. That’s our aim and to the glory of God, we are making progress and aiming to deliver before the scheduled date.
“We are going to deliver a project of high standard for the people of this community.
“Before solar power poles were erected (by the Hon. Benson), we have been making use of our own light if and when we have to work overnight and when we have to complete any work”.
While stating that the project is on course, Engr. Maxwell reinstated that the project will be delivered by the second week in February.
“As a matter of fact, we work based on targets. Like today, we have what we must achieve so also is tomorrow and next tomorrow. We have what we have to achieve on a daily basis and we are achieving those targets. I am glad that we are on course”, he assured.
“Everything being equal, we should deliver the project second week in February, including the 5 – aside football pitch, basketball and lawn tennis courts”, he assured.
The contractor, while commending the host community, especially the youths, for their support, said that they have never witnessed any untoward incident since the commencement of the project in …
“The level of support from the youths and the community as a whole has been very helpful. They are very accommodating and nice. They are always ready to come to our aid. They are appreciative that the government is bringing something like this to their community.
“We don’t have any record of attacks on our workers and the site is very well secure. There has been no record of missing materials or equipment”, Engr. Maxwell added.
Hon Awolesi Omotayo, the Majority Leader, Ikorodu Local Government Legislative Arm representing Ward C, also speaking with our reporter on site, commended Hon. Benson for facilitating the project which he said will add value to the host community when completed.
“I want to thank Hon. Babajimi Benson for bringing this project to my Ward. It really shows that he cares for his people. He has been representing us very well at the House of Representatives. Kudos to him and I am very happy seeing this happening while I am representing this Ward”, the Council legislator stated thankfully.
“It is an honour to me and my people and this project is a plus not only to his political base, but also mine and others too. It is a welcome idea and our people love it”.
The youthful Councilor said that the project will also engage youths not only in the community but across Ikorodu division generally and discourage them from engaging in social vices.
He added that the facilities would also improve the economic and social lives of residents in the community.
“More importantly, the project, which includes a 5 – aside pitch with fan stand, basketball and lawn tennis courts coupled with the existing table tennis hall, is coming at a time that Ikorodu is grappling with a cultism and hooliganism challenge and the needs to engage her youths actively and positively”, Hon. Awolesi said.
“With these facilities, our youths will be able to build and engage themselves actively and positively and also assist in economic development of residents around the sporting complex because people coming into it will have no choice than to patronize them for what to eat, drink and other items”, he added.
“The facilities will push their businesses forward in terms of sales and patronages and bring positive change to our community.
“This will also serves as a recreational centre for the youths that do not have anywhere to go as they come and engage themselves in one sporting activity or the other. With this, they would stay fit and active and away from crimes”.
He assured that the facilities that will be provided within the mini –stadium will be well protected, stating that the community will take ownership.
“The project will be well secured because it is a welcome idea to the entirety of residents in our community and they won’t allow anybody to vandalize the facilities because this project is long overdue and the youths and entire community will take ownership of it”, he assured.
“Security is everybody’s business, and I can assure you that the community will take care of the project which they considered as their prized possession. It is our heritage and it will add value to our community.
“This is a very laudable project and we are going to project it. I am also assuring Hon. Babajimi Benson that the maintenance of this project will be a collective responsibility between the Community Development Association (CDAs) and the government”, Hon. Awolesi said.
Mr Giwa Ibrahim, a resident of Ita – Elewa community, in an interview with THE IMPACT, said that he was born in the community and has been playing football on the ground since childhood.
The graduate of Business Administration, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, explained that he hasd been playing football at the Ita Elewa Recreational centre before it was taken over by the state government and also before it ongoing upgrade to a mini- stadium through the effort of Hon. Benson.
He also commended Benson for the project, stating that he was surprised at the shape that the project is taken because he never expected anything as big.
“I have been playing here since my childhood and have been expecting a kind of development but not as big as this. To be sincere, it is a big surprise when I started seeing the shape that the ongoing redevelopment of the centre is taken”, he stated while expressing his surprise over what the project has turned out to be.
“We thank God and Hon. Benson for bringing this great opportunity to this community and I am very sure that this will greatly affect the sporting careers of many youths in Ikorodu.
“Though, this community is regarded as one of the most notorious areas in Ikorodu but the facilities here will be protected by the community. It will surely be secured”.
When our reporter also raised the issue of security for the facilities that would be provided and the notorious nature of the environment, Ibrahim allayed our reporter’s fears and said that the youths of the area are not hooligans and assured that they will be willing and ready to protect the mini – stadium.
“I can tell you that the people living in this community are not the ones terrorizing this community. I can say it anywhere because I was born and brought up here. I live here and had my primary and secondary education living in this community”, he said.
“Today, I am a graduate of Federal University of Agriculture and l came back here to marry and now, l belong to the working class and l was still playing football on this field before this redevelopment started.
“Those terrorizing this community are people from outside who have nothing to lose. That’s why they come to terrorize and destroy and I can assure you that the people in this community will protect their sporting edifice”.
