Kunle Adelabu
As part of efforts to have an inclusive budget, the Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), under the administration of Hon. (Otunba) Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju, has engaged major stakeholders in the council with the aim of getting their inputs into the preparation of the 2023 budget.
The avenue also provided the council an opportunity to sought for the cooperation of the people in the area of revenue generation to augment what it described as meager income expected to come into the council.
At the parley which had the Sekumade of Ipakodo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Bashir Shotonwa, Baales, political chieftains, Ccommunity Development Committee (CDC) chieftains, market representatives and youths among others in attendance, took place at the council secretariat hall on Friday, December 2, 2022.
At the event, residents particularly requested that the council should give them roads.
Other requests made were sports centre, rehabilitation of the vocational centre, office spaces and buses for various interest groups/organizations and patrol van and other security equipment among others.
Meanwhile, Hon. Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju, the council chairman, used the stakeholders’ forum to educate the residents on the state of the council finance and also appealed to them to pay their rates and dues to make the council meet up with their requests.
He also highlighted what the council has been doing in the last one year and half under his administration.
“This is important to be able to deliberate on what the council is doing and what you, the people, want us to do”, he explained.
“Councils in Ikorodu are receiving the least allocations in Lagos State and from what we are getting, we are managing to pay salaries and whatever that is left is what we expended projects. That’s what we have been using in doing certain projects in our council.
“You can see that we are now renovating our council secretariat which we have been on for sometime, but unable to be completed because of meager income into the council. We are only paying our contractors bit by bit”.
In the area of roads, the Hon. Sulaimon mentioned that the council has been constructing the Fola Ahmed and Liberty roads which are major roads, among others.
He said that the council is rehabilitating Fola Ahmed Road with about N60million to create alternative road to Owutu because of the ongoing construction of Agric/Isawo Road.
“The council is responsible for the construction of the Fola Ahmed road. It is a major project and road. We have done half of the project based on what we have been able to pay the contractor, and we shall continue and complete the project”, he assured residents.
“Also, Liberty Road is about to be completed which is another major road that we are doing. The project cost us about N100milion. We are doing this too with the little money that we are receiving and we are doing it bit by bit.
“We have done a lot in the last one and half years that we been in government with the little resources that we have”, he said.
He also said that his administration has increased the remuneration for the Baales and still planning to increase it further when the council’s income improves, because of their roles in the council.
He pleaded with residents to assist the council in carrying out its functions, by paying their dues regularly and promptly too.
“We have increase our Baales’ remuneration by about 50% immediately that I resumed office from what we met on ground which was ridiculous and annoying but unfortunately, that is what the laws says. I still hope to increase it further because I am still not comfortable with the situation, and I believe that the Baales that coordinate our people deserves more”, he said.
“We have done a lot which I can’t start counting because this gathering is not meant for that. We are here today to know what you still want us to do in your areas and how you are going to assist us in improving our internally generated revenue.
“We are here today to exchange ideas on how to serve you better and you also help us in doing that.
“If we are demanding, we should also be concern about what is coming in terms of revenue ”, he added.
Hon. Sulaimon, who said that the council cannot rely solely on the allocation from the federation account, further charged residents to continue trusting him with their resources and assured that he will be ready to give account.
He also said that the entire roads in the council are not motorable and need attentions.
“In Ikorodu West LCDA, we have about 500 Streets, but only less than 2% are paying for the renewal of the streets despite the fact that we are not increasing it. If people are not paying, where do you expect us to get money to do these roads”, he said.
“We are all focusing on the JAC from the Federal Government (money from the Federation Account being allocated monthly). Forget about what you read in the newspaper, averagely, what comes to us is N30million. There are times that we get more than that and other times, less than the N30million”, he revealed.
“There are months that we don’t even pay non – pensionable staff and roll their payment to the next month. These are human beings with many things to take care of but they are earning little money. The Bible says that we should give slave his wages as at when due and it is a sin if you don’t.
“I promised you people when I came into the office, during a stakeholders’ meeting with you across wards, that you should trust me with your taxes and rates, I still maintain the promise. Trust me with it and come and ask me after a year what I use the money for. I assure that I will be able to give you accounts”, he reiterated.
“As I am here, you are free to ask what I have been doing with your money. It is not my money but our money. I was only privileged to preside over the money and anybody can also preside over it. I was only chosen by the leaders and with your votes, to have the mandate and I won’t disappoint you”, he further assured.
The Council manager, Mr M.B.S. Arole, in his short remarks, said that the parley will help the council in setting her priorities and also appealed for the public cooperation in the area of revenue so as to serve them right.
Hon. Jessica Enitan Oba, Council Leader, Ikorodu West Legislative Arm, charged corporate bodies and industries in the council to be alive to their corporate social responsibilities in assisting their host communities.
She also charged residents against dumping of refuse in drainages which she said will eventually block the drains and caused flooding which damages roads across the council.
The Council Leader also called for cooperation, especially in term of paying of dues and rates by the residents.
In his royal remarks, Oba Bashir Sotonwa, Sekumade of lpakodo, commended the council under the administration of Hon. Sulaimon, for the improved relationship between the council and the palace, while calling for improvement in that regard.
He also appealed to the council to look into the state of the Ikorodu West Ultra – Modern Market and ensure that more occupants are doing business in it.
The monarch, who said that he no longer sees anything that the engineering departments of the councils are doing anymore, also expressed concern at the incessant traffic at Police Post area which he said is now a black spot.
“I am also concern about the Police Post area which is now a black spot. The traffic situation around the area is also terrible. This pace is in dire need of government’s presence”, Sekumade said.
Other concerns expressed by the monarch were: increasing sex hawkers at a popular relaxation spot along the TOS Benson Avenue and street trading.
The representatives of the Community Development Committee (CDC) requested that the council should embark on construction of drainages on streets along the Agric/lsawo road which is under construction and also called the council’s attention to the bridge at the Asolo junction.
He also called for more attention on roads in every part of the council, stating that some areas are in need of public toilets.
In addition, the CDC requested for an office space, bus and subvention from the council.
Ikorodu West LCDA youths representatives commended Hon. Sulaimon administration, stating that they have never had it good since the creation of the council.
Also, the representative, on behalf of the youths, called for the rehabilitation of the Ipakodo Vocational Centre, provision of land for mini – sports stadium and an office space.
Chief Oloruntade Yekinni Fatola, Baale Ogolonto, who also commended the chairman for increasing their remuneration, also requested for an official bus on behalf of the Council of Baales, while assuring that the Baales will assist the council in revenue generation.
He also called for installation of solar powered street lights in areas across the council to improve security.
The market men and women representative also requested for an office space for meetings and administrative works.
The association, represented by the Iyaloja of Ebute, also requested that the council should give the market leaders the opportunity to issue tickets and render account to the council.
The Lagos State Neighbourhood Service Corp (LNSC), which was the only security agency that made request, demanded for patrol vehicles and motorbikes. Their representative also asked the council to assist the agency in refurbishing its existing vehicles.
On their own, Baale Owutu, Chief Joseph Olatunji Aluko and the Chairman, APC, Ikorodu West LGA, Otunba Bayo Lawson, used the meeting to charge residents to ensure that they collect their PVCs so as to use it in voting for the President that would make their LCDA becomes a full – fledged council and be able to get her allocations directly from the centre.
They,also called on the residents to vote for the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who created the LCDAs.
