Oshodi-Isolo wards to get N500m Sanwo-Olu projects

By Edith Igbokwe, Damilola Kushimo and Saheed Afolabi

Not less than N500million will be spent on projects proposed by councillors in the 20 wards of Oshodi – Isolo Local Government Area by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.

A cap of N25million was placed on each project to ease the execution and ensure early completion.

Oshodi-Isolo LGA includes Isolo and Ejigbo Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

The projects are part of the governor’s state-wide scheme to touch the 377 wards across the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas by funding projects recommended by the councillors

At the conception of the scheme termed “Constituency Ward Projects”, the governor directed the councillors to meet with their people, discuss on their needs and agree on a particular project for each ward that would not exceed N25million.

After coming up with proposed projects in each ward, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget inspected and confirmed that the projects would add value to the people.

The Ministry of  Local Governments and Community Affairs also confirmed that the residents and stakeholders were consulted in choosing the projects.

The third verification stage was driven by independent professional consultants and  government professionals from different ministries, departments and agencies who assessed  the cost of the projects.

In Oshodi LGA, construction of roads topped the agenda.

Among the roads listed for reconstruction in the seven wards across the local government area are Oyetayo Street, Oshodi; Ayinde Street in Oluyeye Ward; Raji Street (Mafoluku Ward); Jacob Taiwo Street (Ewu Ward); Suwebatu Street (Afariogun Ward); Ijaye Street (Igbehinadun Ward); Onikewunla Street (Shogunle Ward) and Olorunishola Street in Ogunoloko Ward.

Explaining the rationale for the listed roads, the Leader of the Legislative Arm, Hon. Rasheed Obasa, said there was wide consultations in all the wards before arriving at the projects.

Obasa, representing Oluyeye ward, said majority of the roads in the community are in deplorable state.

He said despite the efforts of the local government and other political office holders in rehabilitating roads, there is urgent need for roads in all the wards to be standard for easy connection.

For instance,  he said vehicular movement linking major roads has been difficult in his ward, hence, the reason for unanimously choosing Ayinde Street for reconstruction.

In Isolo LCDA, it was a case of different strokes for different folks.

Road and drainage  construction, street lights, Town Hall and Health Centre reflected local needs.

While Mukandasi road will be rehabilitated in Apena ward, Alabe street will get facelift including streetlights in Alagbeji ward.

Ishaga/Ire-Akari Ward chose Kamoru Adeyemi Street with provision of street lights while rehabilitation of Stella Osholanke/Akinola Osholanke Street (by vibrated interlocking stones) and Chivita Avenue remains the choice of Ajao ward.

On the other hand, Ilasamaja ward’s interest is in the construction of Ilasamaja Town Hall to be located at Araromi Street, Araromi Baale Junction while the residents of Akinbaye ward preferred construction of Primary Health Centre inside Ansar-Ud-Deen School at Ilesanmi Street to any other project.

Okota ward’s interest is the construction of drainages at Chief Imo Crescent by Trinity Power Pentecostal Mission Lunch Greenfield Estate.

The residents of the ward including their councillor, Hon. Kanayo Osondu, said the project became a priority to curb the annual menace of flood in the community.

While speaking with ECHONEWS, Osondu said: “The construction of drainage channel at Chief Imo Crescent by Trinity Power Pentecostal Mission Lunch Greenfield Estate is the first of the three projects that will be executed by the state as proposed. Before arriving at that submission, I called a stakeholders’ meeting in my ward and after explaining the project, we found out that the kind of roads we have in Okota ward will cost much more than N25million that has been allocated for the whole project and we felt that another major challenge we are having in our ward is flood. So, we settled for drainage construction and a committee of about nine members was set to work with me to assess the ward. We divided the ward into three zones and we allocated a project to each zone according to their peculiarity.

“In zone A, we have many drainages and culverts all amounting to the N25million. In Zone B the same, but in Zone C, there are just two major drainage channels that need to be done. One in Greenfield and the other in Star-Times Estate. I wouldn’t want to shortchange myself as the one in Greenfield will cost close to N25 million unlike the one in Star times and that’s how we arrived at the project.

“We would have chosen the construction of a public primary school but we observed that there is no vacant land in Okota and to acquire a property will cost almost all the money allocated for that project.”

The council leader, who represents Apena ward, Hon. Remy Shittu, said construction of Mukandasi Street toped the list of the three projects proposed by his Ward as others include additional reconstruction of road, drainages and provision of transformer.

Hon. Akeem Alarape, Ilasamaja ward councillor, said the agitation to have a meeting point as obtained in modern communities across the world led to the choice of Ilasamaja Town Hall as the main project in the ward.

“Ideally, there should be a town hall in every modern community where people can always gather to discuss their common challenges and foster development in their community.

“Ilasamaja doesn’t have such modern facility. On the final inspection by the state engineer, the hall will have 300 seats capacity, TV, public address system and other necessary items.

“Though, the structure has been downgraded to a bungalow against the initial storey building I proposed. This downgrading is due to the Covid-19 outbreak that led to cut in the state budget. The two remaining proposed projects (additional six bedrooms to Ilasamaja health center and mini health care center at Oko Malam) would be embedded in next year’s  budget,” he said.

The love for education and effort to assure the health of their children prompted the presentation of construction of Primary Healthcare Centre inside Ansar-Ud-Deen School at Ilesanmi Street by the people of Akinbaye ward.

According to their councillor, Hon. Idris Agbabiaka, people go for healthcare centre as there is none in the ward.

He explained: “I realised that we do not have a PHC in Akinbaiye ward, our people only make use of the one in Ishaga/Ire-Akari Ward. I got convinced that the PHC will be beneficial to everybody in the ward. So, since the project has been divided into three, I realised it is best to choose a PHC for the first phase of the project while others wait. The outright construction of Lafenwa Street is my second project and I’m glad our Member at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Jude Idimogu is trying to do some palliative on it for now to make it motorable because of the great importance of the road, it is a strategic route for the diversion of traffic from the traffic-prone Isolo/Mushin Road.”

For the road construction in Alagbeji ward, the councillor representing the ward, Hon. Olanrewaju Kayode, said Alabe Street was chosen for the project because “the road is deteriorating and it is a link road for the diversion of traffic on Osolo Way.

“My second project is PHC in Alagbeji ward. Truly, the issue of the PHC has been on before now but there is practically no space to cite the infrastructure. The management of the Public Library won’t approve some portion of the premises for such project and there is no open land in Alagbeji ward.

“Moreover, there is a health centre in LSPDC Estate which residents make use of. Regardless of that, I hope that by the time the state will want to execute the second project, the issue of space won’t be a problem.”

Ishaga/Ire-Akari councillor, Hon. Abiodun Odusina-Adeoye said: “Kamoru Adeyemi is chosen being a major link road and Ire-Akari major market is on the same road. Rehabilitating the street would drastically reduce traffic faced daily and also help improve revenue for the market.

“I proposed two other projects which were total renovation of Gbeleyi Primary School and construction of library for the pupils and rehabilitation of Imoje Street but the road project has more weight than others by the residents.”

Similarly in Ejigbo LCDA, drainage and road construction dominated the approved projects to be executed under the scheme.

Others are public library in Fadu ward to be built in Ejigbo Model School; community Town Hall in Ailegun ward to be located in Greenland community and public toilet in Oke-Afa ward to be built in Jakande Estate Market.

For the project, drainage and asphalt or interlocking of Prosperity Road is approved for Ilamoshe ward. In Ifoshi ward, construction of drainage and asphalt laying of David Oguntimehin Street or Alh Suleman lane is on the list while construction of drainage as well as culvert on Adekoya Street, Elemu was approved for Aigbaka and Oke-Afa wards respectively.

The councillors, led by their leader, Hon. Olanrewaju Akinbowale, said they chose various projects in the council area to extend development to all aspects of human life.

They said the challenges facing each ward are different as they tried to support the efforts of the local government chairman, Hon. Monsuru Bello Obe, through the scheme, saying the chairman has found solutions to some challenges in some communities such as rehabilitation of roads, building of culverts and drainages

Speaking on the scheme as conceived by the governor, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Hamzat said part of the main objectives of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration is to run an all inclusive government that focuses on social and economic empowerment of its citizen at the grass root.

“With this in mind the State Government approved the plans to execute at least one project in each of the 377 wards distributed across all three (3) senatorial districts in Lagos.

“Consequently, certain strategic projects such as the construction of Roads, Buildings, Health centres, Skill acquisition centres, ICT centres, Procurement and installation of transformers and streelights, sinking of boreholes and building of Jetties have been identified across all the senatorial districts.”

The deputy governor said the selection of the projects under the scheme in each ward was done in collaboration with all the Ward councillors at the Local Governments.

He added: “The proposed constituency projects which will complement the already completed and on-going projects were selected mainly on the basis of the following criteria: to have specific projects that are in tandem with our THEMES agenda; to open up and provide motorable access to inaccessible inner recesses of communities; to power grassroot socio-economic activities; to enhance connectivity with previously completed and ongoing projects.”

In the statewide breakdown of the projects, there are 257 roads and drainages to be constructed, 86 buildings, 23 electricity projects,nine boreholes and two jetties.

In all, 94 projects will be executed in the central senatorial district, 99 in the East and 184 in the West.

The deputy governor hinted that the fund for the project would be sourced from Year 2020 budgetary provisions by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, adding that the supervision and monitoring of the prompt delivery of the projects would be done in collaboration with the ward councillors and party stalwarts.

He therefore urged all stakeholders at the state and local level to collaborate in the supervision and completion of the projects.

He informed that work has already commenced on 53 roads across the three Senatorial districts on Friday, September 25, 2020, saying the date for commencement of other projects (Buildings, Boreholes and Jetties) would be communicated in due course to all relevant stakeholders.

“The proposed execution of developmental projects across the political wards in Lagos State when completed will promote intra city development which invariably will enhance economic and social activities across the state,” he said.