Kunle Adelabu
-Appeals to govt on state of roads
The General Secretary of the Igbogbo Day Planning Committee (IDEA), Engr. Lateef Oduntan, has said that the entire Igbogbo Kingdom, has so much expectations from the recently inaugurated 2023 Igbogbo Day Committee.
His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeem Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, had, about two weeks ago at the Adeboruwa palace, inaugurated the committee with Alhaji Nosirudeen T.A. Andus, re-appointed as the Chairman.
Engr. Oduntan disclosed this, while speaking recently with THE IMPACT, in Igbogbo, on the 2023 Igbogbo Day, and the proposed Igbogbo Town Hall.
“The committee that was recently inaugurated, is constituted mostly by former members of the committee, because they did very well. We just injected new members that have passion to serve the community”, he said.
“Two years ago, when we inaugurated the committee, we assured the Adeboruwa – in – Council that the committee members were selected because we know that they would listen and that they would carry everybody along. That is exactly what they did and they performed very well.
“We had very good outings in the last two Igbogbo Day celebrations, and it was on those premises that we gave them the opportunity to continue. To them, it is a known terrain, having done it twice. This is their third year and they are familiar with the terrain. We are expecting a lot from them, and I am very confident that they will deliver”, he said.
Speaking on the proposed community town hall, Engr. Oduntan confirmed that a parcel of land has finally been secured by the community after years of uncertainties and controversies.
“We have been on this town hall issue for long, even when we did not have enough funds, but one issue that kept re-occurring is the issue of where to site it. Even with the location that we finally agreed on, there are some controversies surrounding the land that we intend to build the town hall on, in terms of ownership, and this came up recently”, he said.
“There are family tussles and court cases, and when we took the matter to the Kabiyesi, he asked the parties to withdraw the cases in court and allow settlement, and that is what we have been battling for over a year, but thank God, that we have almost resolved the matter.
“We are now sure of three acres of land to site the Igbogbo Town Hall. We thank God, for the efforts of Kabiyesi and the Oba – in – Council, and also thank the families involved, for withdrawing their cases from courts, and we also thank Toleram company, for listening to us and ready to pay compensation to all the families involved. Right now, we are good to go on the construction of the town hall”, Engr. Oduntan confirmed.
The IDEA Secretary, who said that the issue of road deficits has been a major challenge confronting Igbogbo, said that the community will mobilise its people to make the Offin/Oreta road where the proposed town hall is located and which is in a terrible state, to make it motorable for the 2023 celebration, while also calling on the government to perform its responsibility.
“One major problem confronting Igbogbo presently is the issue of roads. It is as if we don’t have any motorrable road, and I quite sympathise with most of our residents, especially those living in Bayeku, Offin, Oreta and other areas, regarding the harrowing experience that they go through every day. The same goes for those living along the Agbele road, now Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way. The condition of that road too is terrible ”.
“In fact, there is a worse word to describe the situation than being terrible. But what can we do? We are in a country where residents source for water on their own and electricity by using generators, but how many people can construct a road? It still falls on the government and we have to continue to appeal to the government to intervene.
“It has been over six years that they started the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Road, and that of Bayeku road was started in July 2022, and you can see the harrowing experiences that people are going through there. The best that we can do is to keep appealing to the government.
“For the Offin/Oreta road on which the proposed Igbogbo hall will be located, even if it is to do a palliative, we will put together resources and also appeal to our people in government to make the road motorable for the celebration. We will try to do that”, he said.
