Kunle Adelabu
Igbe community in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, has called on the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, to assist the community in construction of drainages for the channelization of water to prevent flood.
The Igbe Road Rehabilitation Committee (IRRC) and the nine Joint CDAs made the ‘Save Our Houses and Businesses’ appeal at the ceremony they organized to honour the representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Benson who facilitated the rehabilitation of the road and others that contributed towards the rehabilitation.
Governor Sanwo – Olu commissioned the rehabilitated road on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
Pastor Joshua A. Adeniyi, the Chairman of the IRRC, enjoined Rep. Benson to ensure that their request drainages to channel water in the community, especially at Bello Arinle, Otinwa Alagbaji and Odusegun Streets, gets to the Governor of the State.
“While we appreciate His Excellency for the official commissioning, and House of Representatives Member, Hon. Babajimi Benson, ‘Olojo ibi ti ose yi’, “ijoba mekunnu’, initiator and founder of the first food bank in West Africa, hope of hopeless, pride of Ikorodu Division, James Bond of Africa, the right representative of Ikorodu constituency at House of Representatives. My Honourable, we, however, have some fears that have to be addressed, relating to this road. They are:
“The channels where the rain water will flow through into the canal.
“Presently, we have three outlets, viz: Bello Arinle St, Otinwa Alagbaji Street and Odusegun Street, and our fear is that, if those streets are not well protected now, the rain water will spill on their roads, and destroy their personal buildings and businesses, thus, creating another avoidable Igbe Road debacle.
“This, we don’t pray to happen, hence, our appeal.
“We would, thus, be delighted and very grateful, if you can help us to forward this address and monitor its delivery to the table of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Sanwo-Olu, to kindly assist us to mitigate or eliminate these imminent challenges”.
The community also charged the Governor to ensure that services of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Public Health Officers and Lagos State Neighbourhood Corps are extended to Igbe area of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
“This can be done by extending the service of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to compliment the effort of our Environmental Sanitation Committee (BBRESC) in getting the road cleaned every day.
“Extending the services of Public Health Officers, Lagos state Neighbourhood Corps to join our Task Force and Security Committee in ensuring strict compliance with norms of ‘KEEP LAGOS CLEAN, KEEP BBR CLEAN’.
The IRRC Chairman, on behalf of the community, also requested for direct contact with the Public Works Department for the maintenance of the newly rehabilitated road.
“And more importantly, we will be glad if there is automatic access to the Ministry of Public Works, whereby, we can always call their attention to possible defected parts of the road before it gets bad” , Pastor Adeniyi said.
In his reaction to the request by the community, Builder Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA who was also given award for his contribution to the rehabilitation of the road, said that he would discuss with Rep. Benson to see how the community can be properly channeled to prevent flooding.
“What you need is collector or secondary drainage and I will be discussing with Rep. Babajimi Benson to see how we can get the necessary agency of the government to come to our aid”.
He said that he has contacted the LAWMA Managing Director on the need to post Street Sweepers to the community to ensure that Igbe road is clean on a daily basis.
“I have made contact with the Managing Director of LAWMA to assist us by posting Street Sweepers to this community to take care of Igbe road on a daily basis. I can assure you that the needful will be done”, Daini assured residents of Igbe.
