Kunle Adelabu
Residents of Ajose, Oke-Ota and other communities in Owode – Ibeshe, off the Ibeshe Road in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, have expressed their profound joy as the 1.5kilometre road facilitated by the representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Benson, nears completion.
The road, which was facilitated under the Defense Headquarters Civil – Military Cooperation Project, by Rep. Benson who is the Chairman, House Committee on Defense, was flagged-off on Saturday, September 17, 2022.
THE IMPACT team, which was part of the flag – off, on Thursday visited the site to ascertain the level of work done on the project. The construction was more than 80% completed with finishing touches being done by the contractor when our reporter visited.
The drainages on both sides of the road have been completed from the starting point at the Second Transformer, to the Kith and Kin Educational Schools junction where the road connects with the Ibeshe road. The solar streetlights poles have also been installed and culverts connecting the 1.5km road with more than 20 streets, also fixed.
As at the time of our visit, asphalt has been laid from the starting point to few metres to where the project ends.
According to residents, the road from Ajose to Second Transformer covered six Community Development Associations (CDAs). Other CDAs in between are Ultimate Favour, God’s Favour, Oke Ota Central, Wazobia and Aiyegbami CDAs.
While touring the project with an aide of a soldier who was detailed to be with our reporter, some of the residents and chieftains of the communities spoke with THE IMPACT, expressing their joy and expectations.
Mr Ero Ololade Olaonipekun, the chairman of Oduntan CDA, said that the representative has done them a big favour and that they are preparing for the commissioning of the road.
“We have just congratulated Babajimi Benson on his birthday, for the big favour he has done for us. We are preparing for the opening of this road because it remains just little for the project to be completed, and we are also making preparations for the commissioning. He is the first politician to answer our prayer in our community”, the community leaders said.
“We have taken some steps before now for the government to do this road, but it is Babajimi Benson that God sent to us. The work started in October and they are almost done with it this March.
“The community has been giving praises to Babajimi Benson for the favour he has done for us”, he added.
A former CDA Chairman, Mr Olabode Hassan, also spoke with our reporter, describing the situation before the intervention of the lawmaker and now, as a matter of life and death.
“You cannot compare death with ordinary sleep. Had it been you were here before the commencement of the road’s reconstruction, you will know what we are saying”, he said.
“We thank God. We thank Jimi Benson for the job well done, and we pray God gives him more grace to continue to do more for the people, not only here, but in other communities and Lagos State in general”.
When asked about how the community intends to maintain the road, Mr Hassan said:
“There’s a committee for that. We have set up a committee for the road maintenance”, he said.
Fatola Babalola, a landlord at Fasasi Oduntan Street, also speaking, said:
“We really appreciate Hon. Benson and the Federal Government over the development of our road. It is properly fixed. The facilities provided are solar lights, a good road, good drainage system and we are so impressed by the development”, he said.
“We wish him (Rep. Benson) a good tenure in office”.
Mrs Ashaolu, a resident of Oke-Ota, Ibeshe, said:
“We thank God for our community, and we are happy for the construction. We thank Jimi Benson for doing it. Things will be better for him and his family. We really appreciate him for the favour he has done to us.
“I really appreciate him for what he has done because we are Nigerians and we know how difficult it is to bring this kind of project here. May God continue to help him.
“There have been a lot of changes. To pass through this road before was a very difficult task; to use a vehicle is a big task not to talk of people who use bikes as a means of transportation, and usually fall from the bike. There’s a big difference now and despite the fact that we are still passing through the other road since the road is still under construction, we thank God that it has been successfully done and will be completed soon”, she said.
Mr Shobo Segun Mutiu, the Rep. Benson’s project engineer, speaking on phone with our reporter, said that the project will be completed and delivered to the community soon.
While thanking residents of the area for their cooperation with the contractor and Defense officials, he assured that his boss still has many laudable projects that will be unveiled in a matter of months in other parts of the Federal Constituency.
