Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
-Plans to reconstitute CDAs Consultative Forum
The Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the representative of Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Sanai Bolanle Agunbiade, has assured chieftains of Community Development Committee (CDC) and Community Development Association (CDAs) that he would always be available for them if called upon to tackle challenges and help bring development to their areas.
Hon. Agunbiade made the statement while meeting with the CDC Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government and the General Secretary, Lagos State Community Development Advisory Council (CDAC), Alhaji Luqman Sonibare, CDC Chairman, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Prince Adeniran Ogunbanwo and Chairmen of CDAs in about 120 communities along Ijede and Agura – Gberigbe axis.
Hon. Agunbiade initiated the parley to give the CDA chieftains feedback on letters written to the Lagos State Government (which copies were sent to him) to express their concern over the incessant accidents at Oke Gbegun near the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu main campus.
The four – term lawmaker, who met with the community builders at his Ikorodu Constituency office on Monday, May 31, 2021, commended them for making good use of their representatives by routing their requests, which they want the government to look into, through him.
“I thank you for writing me and calling my attention to the issues bothering you and asking me to use my good office to intervene on your behalf”.
“You have charged me to do my work as your representative and God willing, I will not disappoint you.
While stating that the purpose of calling for the meeting was to brief community developers on how far that he has gone on the assignment given to him regarding the rehabilitation of the Itamaga – Ijede and Ikorodu – Shagamu roads.
“I have done a covering letter and attached it to the letter that you sent to me as soon as I received your letter. I had also done follow – up on the letters.
“Don’t doubt me once you sent me on an errand as your representative. Always believe that it will be done.
“Feel free to always call on your elected representatives at the federal, state and local levels to any issue and if they don’t respond, endeavour to document such for future.
“The purpose of inviting you all here today is to brief you on the work that you have given me. So, we are here to brief you as your representative that you sent on errand”, the four – term lawmaker said.
Speaking on the request of the over 100 communities, Hon. Agunbiade said:
“You have asked the government to see to the Ikorodu – Shagamu road which its present state has caused many accidents in which several lives have been lost.
“Also, you have asked the Lagos State Government to consider Itamaga – Gberigbe – Agura as the second phase of Itamaga – Ijede road due to the terrible state of the Gberigbe – Agura road.
“May I inform you that the first phase has been completed and it will be commissioned in the next two weeks, but I have tabled your request to the government and also followed it up.
Hon. Agunbiade, while also assuring the chieftains of CDCs and CDAs at the parley, corrected that what the government planned to do is Gberigbe – Agura road and not Gberigbe – Imota road.
“The road will be done from Gberigbe to Agura which will also give access to the Imota road because there is a multi – million naira project there.
“It is important that access roads to the Rice Mill in Imota are put in good shape.
The lawmaker also directed that the community under Fulani threat, should write to him on their complaints for proper intervention.
“We are going to do a joint inspection of all the issues that you have raised and complained about.
“We are going to reconstitute the CDAs Joint Consultative Forum which we have been doing before”, he assured Chairmen of CDAs and CDCs present at the parley.
On Ikorodu – Shagamu road, especially the Oke – Gbegun axis which has turned death trap and which heavy duty trucks find difficult to climb and have been fallen over small vehicles in the process, thereby, causing lost of lives and heavy traffic, Hon. Agunbiade said:
“Based on my letter, the Special Adviser to the Governor told me that she has engaged Arab Contractors to move in and find something to do at this particular portion (Oke Gbegun) as their Corporate Social Responsibilities”, he said.
About five people lost their lives last week, a situation which prompted commercial tricycle operators and students of the Lagos State Polytechnic and CDAs to lament the incessant accidents in that axis.
Hon. Agunbiade assured that the government will do the needful in saving lives and properties.
The communities under the Agura – Gberigbe – Igbodu Joint CDA Forum, in a letter dated April 7, 2021, and titled, “Agura – Gberigbe Road: An Appeal For Consideration of Agura – Gberigbe – Igbodu Road As Phase 2 of Ijede Road Construction”, which was directed to the lawmaker, commended the Governor for the reconstruction of Itamaga – Ijede road which they said has brought relief to many and also have improved social and economic lives of residents around the axis.
However, residents of Igbodu, Ewu Owa, Made,Gberigbe, Oke- Olokun, Abule Alaru, Agura Iponmi and other communities are appealing to the governor to consider the collapsed Agura – Gberigbe – Igbodu road which they said has caused thousands of residents in that axis severe pains.
According to the Joint CDAs in their letter signed by the trio of Mr Lasisi Adeniyi, Coordinator, Agura – Gberigbe –Igbodu Joint CDA Forum, Engr. Olusegun Abidoye, Deputy Coordinator of the Forum and Alhaji Lukman Shonibare, the Chairman, CDC Ikorodu LG, it was stated that:
“Agura – Gberigbe – Igbodu road is now a dead trap. We are already cut off from other parts of Ikorodu. There is no part of the road that is good, even the adjoining street roads are dilapidated due to flooding during rainfall, vehicular pressure and lack of drainages. When the rain resumes, going to work or school by resident through this road becomes impossible as residents will have to relocate if they intend to keep their jobs”, they lamented.
“The critical portions of this road are: AP, ONE FOLD, FOMON (EWU OWA) stretch through CAC Gberigbe to IGBALU JUNCTION, ALUSA AGURA and OK BUS STOP AGURA that is no longer okay. Sir, we are begging for your immediate intervention.
“By fixing this road, the Government would have succeeded in tackling erosion challenges that is posing a serious threat to the entire people of Ewu Owa community. Many residents of Ewu Owa community are usually dislodged when it rains.
They also argued that the consideration for the road will also provide easy access to the largest Rice Mill in West Africa located in Imota and also open – up the vast communities in that area to economic growth.
Further in their argument on why the Lagos State Government should consider the road as the 2nd phase of the Itamaga – Ijede road, the CDAs, while stating that they carried out palliative measure on the road in 2020 but could not salvage the situation, said:
“Agura-Gberigbe-lgbodu road, if considered as phase 2 of the present Ijede road project, will cover more communities which have more than one hundred and twenty Community Development Associations (120 CDAs) as against the entire Ijede Local Council Development Area which has far less number of CDAs (about 60 CDAs was reported).
“The implications are that we have more people on Agura Gberigbe Igbodu axis of lkorodu LGA than in the entire ljede LCDA. It also means that Agura – Gberigbe – Igbodu axis is due for Local Government Development Area (LCDA), having been sandwiched between two smaller LCDAs of Imota and ljede”, the letter said.
In a ‘Save Our Soul’ letter by over 60 Community Development Associations (CDAs) along Ijede road, a copy of which was also sent to the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the CDAs, under the aegis of Committee on Ijede Road Rehabilitation (COIR), said that they are bringing the attention of the government to the “associated and observed problems attached to the ongoing Itamaga – Ijede road rehabilitation”.
In a letter signed by Pastor Olalemi I.A,COIR Chairman, Comrade Bola – Balogun Bolaji, COIR Secretary and Alhaji Lukman Sonibare, CDC Chairman, Ikorodu LG, the CDAs said that there are improper diversion of erosion, inadequate turning access point, non – provision of collective primary drain, inadequate speed breakers (road bumps) and inadequate covering slabs (at major entries into communities).
