Kunle Adelabu
If there is any visible achievement made by some of the council chairmen in Ikorodu Division, the new secretariat buildings that they are embarking upon or have completed stand out and will no doubt etch their names in history as part of what their administration bequeath to their respective councils.
Many of the current council administrators have been generally accused of non – performance due to little or no achievement recorded considering the millions of naira that they receive from the federation account and their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last four years.
However, inspite of this obvious shortcoming, the resolve to build new secretariats, especially by those that are not having one in the last eighteen years that the councils were created, has received commendations from cross section of residents.
In the case of the mother council – Ikorodu Local Government, the massive rehabilitation of the over 40 years old council secretariat located along the TOS Benson Avenue/Beach Road has also received thump up from constituents who see the ongoing efforts by the current administration, being led by Hon Wasiu Adeshina, as a commendable way of not only giving the historical structure a new look but also protecting and preserving it
Aside the old Ikorodu Local Government which was created with other 19 Local Government Areas in Lagos State, and its secretariat built when the division used to be a local government, the other five Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) were created 18 years ago out of the old Ikorodu LG by the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State.
When created in 2003, these LCDAs – Ikorodu West, Ikorodu North, Igbogbo/Bayeku, Ijede and Imota did not have adequate office space. Since then, successive Chairmen and administrators in the five LCDAs have tried to change the narratives while others just completed their terms and moved on.
But in what could be described as a clear departure from the past, the last four years of the current administrations in the Ikorodu Local Government and the five Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) have witnessed tremendous construction of new secretariat buildings which, according to report, is aimed at improving staff working conditions, security, create prestige and provide aesthetic value for the councils’ environment.
While the current Chairmen of Ijede and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDAs (Hon. Fathiu Salisu and Hon. Sesan Daini respectively) have completed the construction of new secretariat buildings that they embarked upon, Ikorodu West LCDA secretariat extension is also nearing completion and the ongoing magnificent lmota LCDA secretariat building being constructed by Hon. Wasiu Agoro is gradually taking shape.
Ikorodu LG
Since the construction of the imposing Ikorodu Local Government secretariat over 40 years ago, the first time that an attempt was being made to do some renovation on it was during the time of Otunba Ganiyu Abiru (the current Chairman, Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS) as the Sole Administrator of the council.
Abiru renovated the secretariat hall as well as built and equipped the former Legislative Chamber which was later allocated to the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund) and other parts of the old Secretariat.
Barring the recent intervention by the current administration of Hon. Wasiu Adesina, the multi –naira Secretariat building may no longer be inhabitable in few year’s time as some parts of the structure have already been collapsing.
Before the commencement of the renovation work by the Adeshina administration, the concrete roof of the Secretariat was already leaking while several parts of the building had cracked and the louvers glasses fallen off.
Many of the offices had also been abandoned, including the upper hall which at a point served as the Magistrate court.
Apart from the completion of the roofing of the Secretariat, the ongoing renovation, which started during the COVID 19 lockdown in 2020, will also witness the changing of all the offices wooden doors to steel and the louvers windows to aluminum sliding windows among others.
Hon. Adeshina’s administration is also installing water system which has been lacking in the council for years.
Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA
At the inception of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, several old buildings dotted the secretariat. It was the administration of Hon. Gbenga Basanya, who was elected twice, that constructed the first modern office building, a storey building, in 2011.
The construction of the main ultra – modern council secretariat recently completed by the administration of Builder Sesan Daini, was started about two years ago.
The one – storey building office complex, which has added aesthetic value to the Secretariat environment and giving it a completely new fascinating look, has 26 offices, including that of the Chairman.
It also has a Marriage Registry with capacity to admit 70 people at a go, one Conference room, a hall with 250 seats and 24 toilets.
The young Chairman has been largely commended by cross – section of residents of the council and others from outside for constructing such a befitting architectural masterpiece which has been regarded by many as first of its kind.
Ijede LCDA
Ijede LCDA operates from two locations within the Ijede community – the main council secretariat close to the lagoon and its annex which is at the Egbin junction.
The annex was developed by the administration of Hon. Saheed Adefarasin Hassan, a two term Chairman of the council who also built the legislative chamber/office, library and magistrate court located within the council environment.
While the building which is being used as the main Secretariat and which housed the Chairman and senior staff of the council, was built by a former Sole Administrator/Executive Secretary of the council, the structure facing it and housing cabinet members and others, was also constructed by the administration of Hon. Hassan.
These are the two structures alongside an old building that housed the Information section and other offices before the advent of the Hon. Fathiu Salisu administration about four years ago.
The administration has, however, built a one – storey modern secretariat building which is now being used as the main administrative block.
The new structure is now housing the chairman’s office and other top officials of the council.
Imota LCDA
For 18 years, Imota LCDA has been occupying a property that belongs to the Lagos State Hospital Management Board meant for the building of Imota General Hospital despite the several quit notice that were issued to the council at different times.
The first attempt by the previous administration of the council to build a secretariat boomeranged as the council was forced by a court of law to pay the contractor contracted for the job without the contractor doing any job. This, according to report, was due to the failure of the council to secure necessary approval from the Governor.
THE IMPACT gathered that the matter was settled out of court and the payment negotiated.
Since then, the council has stayed put within the hospital management board facility until two years ago when the current chairman of the council, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, acquired two acres of land to build an ultra – modern council secretariat with offices with ante – rooms, conference hall, toilets, boardroom, canteen and other facilities.
The new Secretariat building is also expected to have a Legislative Chamber and offices for the seven Council’s Councilors. Though, the council currently has five but provision has been made for additional two in future in the ongoing construction.
The Chairman revealed to THE IMPACT that the new Secretariat building will cost over N300million.
There are also spaces where car park, banks, eateries and other businesses can be sited.
The construction, which started in 2019, is scheduled to be completed in four years but lack of construction activities last year due to COVID 19 pandemic may affect the completion date.
If the design of the structure is anything to go by, then it is suffice to say council's secretariat would be the best in Ikorodu Division and one of the best in Nigeria in terms of functionality, technological connection, safety and environmental friendliness, when completed.
According to sources, the chairman is not plunging the council into unnecessary debt in building the facility, rather, the council will execute the project as money comes into its purse.
The foundation of the structure is presently been solidified with strong pillars which are deep into the ground to form a very strong base upon which the building will rest on.
It was gathered that the chairman is not building just any structure for immediate use, but something that would last for many decades and withstand the test of time.
Ikorodu West LCDA
Although, the Ikorodu West LCDA inherited a two – storey secretariat building at inception, constructed in form of a school building, the current administration of Princes Jumoke Jimbo – Ademehin last year started the construction of a one – storey building secretariat annex which THE IMPACT gathered will accommodate some offices, including the Legislative Chamber and offices for Councilors.
The ongoing construction we gathered will also gathered will accommodate Customary Court, office of the National Youth Council of Nigeria among others when completed.
Ikorodu North LCDA
The current administration of Hon. Adeola Banjo in Ikorodu North LCDA, probably has no need to build new Secretariat as that need has been perfectly taken care of by the previous administration of Hon. Adeola Muhydeen Jokomba who built an imposing one – storey administrative block.
The sprawling structure, which is the main building within the council premises, was named after Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former Governor of Lagos State.
The structure housed the offices of the chairman, vice chairman, council manager and other top officials of the administration.
It also accommodates the Legislative Chamber and offices of the Councilors.
Also located within the Secretariat are old structures inherited by the council upon taking over the premises.
