Kunle Adelabu
The President of Oriwu Club, lkorodu, and an Environmentalist, Otunba Amid Adekunle Oduborisha, FNSE, has stated that there is need for collaborative efforts between Ikorodu, Lagos State and the Federal Governments, in sustaining the city status of the community.
Oduborisha called for partnership in the area of sewage system, big land filled, massive road construction and train system if the Ikorodu’s recent status will positively affect its residents and be sustained.
Ikorodu, which is one of the five Divisions that formed Lagos State, comprising one Local Government and five local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), was recently pronounced by the United Nation as the third largest city in Southwest, Nigeria and 12th in the country.
Otunba Oduborisha made his view known in an interview with THE IMPACT conducted at the Oriwu Club House along the Ikorodu – Shagamu Road, Ikorodu, last weekend.
“You have asked me a pertinent question. Do we have what it takes to be a mega town? We can ask ourselves this question. This present administration of Lagos State Government is trying with infrastructures, but until we need to go into partnership with the state government and the Federal governments and also support the Lagos State government, being the economic hub of the country, to fully realise, and sustain the city status.
“Ikorodu needs a workable sewage system like what late Alhaji Jakunde did and have at least one in each division; a giant sewage system, giant waterways system, giant landfilled; sanitary landfilled to take care of our solid and hazardous wastes. Right now, we don’t have that. Most of the facilities that we have on waste issues are not really engineered. Ikorodu deserves to have an engineering landfill, a sewage system, and bigger inlet roads.
“You could see what Babajimi Benson has been able to achieve within his eight years, especially his second term that is ending”.
He said that the Council/LCDA authorities must be effective in collaborating with what the state and federal governments are doing to really achieve their purpose of being the closest to the grassroots.
“The pity is that when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu conceived the LCDAs, and he was rugged in funding them which the federal government refused, and they were later christened Local Council Development Areas, the purpose was to the first structure that to connects with the grassroots. I remember when Alhaji Jakande was the governor, the ward chairmen in each local government were used more or less like his LCDAs. That was why he knew where to build schools and to meet the requirement of not more than one mile away from your neighbourhood.
“He was able to identify vacant lands where to build schools and low cost housing.
“Our LCDAs are supposed to connect our inlet roads with those built by Benson through the federal government. If we are able to do this, Ikorodu will be a mini London. In terms of infrastructures, they must have a road map”, Otunba Oduborisha said.
“These are the definitions by the United Nations of a mega city or town”.
Otunba Oduborisha also called for construction of a light train system to assist in effective transportation of huge numbers of residents leaving and returning to Ikorodu daily.
The President of the prestigious Oriwu Club, agreed that leaders in Ikorodu and his club have roles to play in bringing about necessary developments to sustain the city status of Ikorodu.
“Since we now have a light train system, it must connect Ikorodu, why not since BRT is connecting it? We have a lot of people leaving Ikorodu daily to Lagos Island and Ikeja. Will it not be a big investment? Once we are able to do the BRT like that, we can also do the light rain”, he said.
“I will just recommend that our political leaders in Ikorodu and our position as a leading club, have a role to play. I agree with you. Definitely, we have a role to play. We have the brain, the manpower in this club who can develop a blueprint. Dr Bawallah of blessed memory was a champion of the transportation system. He was one of the architects of what we are seeing today.
“I believe that Ikorodu has a master plan that connects to what is going on now. All that we need to do is for us to work with the state government and this club has a leverage in the sense that Mr Governor is our grand patron and we can use that leverage to the benefit of Ikorodu”, Otunba Oduborisha said.
