Residents set first 100-day agenda for new council chairmen

By Edith Igbokwe, Damilola Kushimo, Saheed Afolabi and Motolani AbdulGafar

The idea of a social contract between the electorate and their representatives has begun to take shape following the inauguration of the newly -elected chairmen of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Isolo and Ejigbo Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) as residents set the agenda for the new helmsmen.

In line with our social responsibility mandate, Echonews sent reporters out to ask residents which needs they expect the newly-elected representatives to meet as they settle down to the task of governance.

Though the council chairmen had canvassed several capital projects and welfare programmes in their manifestoes during the campaigns, ECHONEWS gathered that the residents want other things peculiar to their communities.

OSHODI-ISOLO LG

In Oshodi-Isolo LG, road rehabilitation, healthcare and security topped the demands of the residents as they expect their chairman, Otunba Kehinde Oloyede (Kendoo) to focus more on infrastructural development.

The Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Alhaji Adisa Olawoyin, wants the council chairman to assist in completing the building of CDC Hall while requesting for the repairs of bad roads, schools and filling the primary healthcare (PHC) centres with adequate drugs and equipment.

He also wants the new administration to provide adequate security in the community and engage the youths with something doing for a living.

While the Doort CDA Chairman, Mr Femi Awoyemi is seeking support for the supply of electricity and pre-paid meters, the residents of Isokan CDA in Mafoluku, Oshodi as represented by their chairman, Mr Kazeem Fawole wants the government to improve the security at Afariogun Primary School, removal of Charity garage from the Street to stop the nuisance it has been constituting in the community and to key into the Akpakun garden project for a safe environment.

The chairman of Ifelodun CDA, Mr Musliudeen Tijani stated that the provision of potable water, good drainages and reconstruction of Ogunsiji and Olawore Streets will do a lot of good to the community, saying the community would appreciate the government if their demands are met within the first 100 days of the current local government administration led by Oloyede.

Speaking for artisans, the chairman of Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria (FIWON), Oshodi-isolo chapter, Engr. Joy Omiyale, said the artisans only need to benefit more in every empowerment given by the government.

The leader of Star Widows and Less Privileged People Foundation, Lydia Komolafe pleaded with the local government for feeding and business support to the traders among them.

ISOLO LCDA

In their requests, the residents of Ilasamaja speaking through the public relations officer (PRO) of Ese Odo East CDA in Ilasamaja, Comrade Olasunkanmi Adeoti, are looking forward to the construction of a primary healthcare centre.

They said the project has been put on the drawing board by previous governments and prayed that the Olasoju administration will break the jinx.

 Besides, they are clamouring for the construction of drainage especially from Apapa Expressway down to Cele to reduce flood caused by torrential rain in the axis saying the community has been suffering from flood over the years.

The Chairman of Hope Estate CDA, Okota, Chief Linus Okafor, emphasised that drainage construction and rehabilitation of strategic roads as the basic infrastructures the area needs from the new council boss as he pleaded for his urgent attention in the Estate, stressing that the council chairman needs to encourage their communal efforts, especially during his first 100 days in office.

An Executive member of Canal Estate in Apena Ward, Mr Akpan Kingsley pleaded with the new council boss to urgently look into the need for culverts in some critical areas in the community and extension of collector drain at Powerline to Grace Evangel that runs into the canal.

He noted that the current state of the drain made the area almost inhabitable for the residents when rainfalls.

The CDC public relations officer (PRO), Alhaji Yemi Sogunle who doubles as the chairman of Alagbeji CDA, made a general request for his ward as he explained that it will be to the delight of all and sundry if the new chairman can prioritise the construction of a Primary Healthcare Centre in the community as Alagbeji is now the only ward out of seven wards that lacks the basic facility.

He also demanded the construction of major link roads from the community that leads to Kogberegbe Street to ease vehicular movement in the community and plant lasting smiles on the faces of the residents.

In Akinbaye ward, residents of Aregbe and Karimu Streets appealed to the new chairman to look into the uncompleted rehabilitation projects in their streets.

For the traders, all they want from the new government is empowerment in terms of training and financial support.

Requesting on their behalf, the chairperson of Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans (LASCOTA), Isolo Chapter, Deaconess Oyewunmi Oyewole, said: “We are optimistic that our chairman has great programmes in store for tradesmen and artisans in the council area. We humbly appeal for recognition from the chairman, we’ve not been recognised as expected. We also want to be carried along in the developmental activities the council chairman has for the council area especially for tradesmen and artisans.

“We want to be the facilitators of the empowerment and vocational skill acquisition programmes the chairman intends to organise. As expected, our meetings should be held in the council secretariat and we hope the chairman can make a place available for us to hold our meeting and also create an office for us where we can refer to as our secretariat.”

EJIGBO LCDA

While the priority of Hon. Monsuru Bello Obe led administration is on the expansion of the council Secretariat to accommodate more staff and completion of some of the projects started in his first term, the expectation of the residents may be higher and different.

For instance, as gathered by ECHONEWS, the residents of Jakande Estate pleaded for urgent construction of Oja Road down to Iyan Isheri as well as Central Mosque Road.

The Iyaloja of Jakande Estate market, Chief Mrs Stella Adebiyi JP, appealed to the council chairman to fulfil his promise of renovating the market and re-construction of the Double Star Oja Road while traders at Ejigbo market also appealed for urgent construction of the road from the front of the market to Pako at Ejigbo to ease their businesses.

The chairman of the Health and Environment subcommittee team of Ejigbo Community Development Committee (CDC), Elder Amos Johnson, reiterated that the establishment of welfare office by the Obe-led administration to manage the affairs of the old people.

He said it will acknowledge the efforts of the aged as most of them had in their youth worked hard to see to the development of the country.

According to him, the acknowledgement would put a smile on their faces as some of them have become less privileged depending on their health status or financial capability.

Still on community demands, the Chairman of Omiyale-End CDA who doubles as the Second Vice Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ejigbo, Bashorun Oguntomole disclosed that the most important priority that residents of Ejigbo expect the new administration to focus on is to fix many link roads in each ward.

He said rehabilitating the link roads within the community would help boost the economic activities of the people.

“Somewhere like Omiyale-End community where I belong, Abuna Street which links to Dorcas, Idimu and Jakande-Gate down to Isolo is an access road which should serve as an internal connecting road that can link all and sundry to their destinations instead of going down to the Iyana Ejigbo before getting to our destinations.”

The CDA chairman of Olive Estate, Mr Clement Ojo while supporting what Bashorun Oguntomole said noted that his estate hopes that this new administration will focus mainly on their roads within the estate.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Ailegun East CDA, Chief Ikenna Agina said his community hopes that Obe’s administration will consider constructing an access road to link Ori Oke/Kogberegbe road down to the Ronik area to aid the easy movement of motorists whenever there is traffic on the major road.

He further explained that the community is also looking forward to the reconstruction of the Ailegun road as promised by the chairman during the campaign.

The chairman of Eyitayo CDA, Mr Obiora Nzekwu urged the council to build drainages saying desilting the drains can also help in reducing inconvenience on road for motorists.

Also, residents of Fayemi Street in Ejigbo LCDA have appealed to Lagos State Government to intervene in the reconstruction of their road and drainage to curb floods in the community.

According to them, the incessant heavy downpour has become a continuous threat to the community, causing loss of properties.

Speaking with ECHONEWS, the Chairman of Taiwo Afolabi Community Development Association (CDA), Mr Olajide Makinde, who is also a resident of Fayemi Street lamented the level of damages the last downpour caused to the community with the heavy uncontrollable flood.

He disclosed that although the administration of Hon. Monsuru Bello (Obe) and the previous administration had earlier intervened in the reconstruction, the persistent heavy downpour has worsened it.

He stated that the state government has infrastructural materials and facilities for road construction that could be used in constructing more consolidating drainage, saying the project is beyond the local council.

He noted that the community has written letters to the state government for help but still waiting for a response.

He begged that the community is reaching out to the state government early for intervention before the downpour begins to claim lives and not properties alone which he prayed against.

“We need the state government’s assistance to fix Fayemi Street. Although our able council chairman, Hon. Monsuru Bello Obe and the past administration had tried their best, their effort is not working and it has failed to solve the problem of this Street.

“We need the help of the state government because the council authority has done its best but it is not enough to proffer the solution we need. We urgently need assistance and support of the state government to solve this persistent challenge that usually leads to loss of properties, we should not wait before it leads to loss of life.”