Kunle Adelabu
Residents of Ijomu community behind the Ikorodu Divisional Police Headquarters, along lgbogbo Road, Ikorodu, have commended the representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Rep. Babajimi Benson for considering roads in three streets in the area for construction.
The lawmaker has been facilitating several federal projects like roads, medical facilities, street lighting, schools and other projects to the Ikorodu Federal Constituency in the recent time.
One of such road projects facilitated by the young lawmaker is located in three connecting streets (Dosunmu Alashe/Ademoye/Igbamitayo Streets) and it is meant to serve as a link road between the Igbogbo and Ireshe roads.
The road was flagged off for construction in the second week of July 2021, and was covered with asphalt last week.
Part of a road located in a sloppy street off Dosunmu Alashe Street was also graded while the drainage was repaired to ensure free flow of waste water.
The project, which has the Federal Ministry of Agriculture as the client, was awarded to the NASA Global Resources Service Limited, No. 2, IBM Haruna Street, adjacent ABC Transport, Utako, Abuja, and facilitated by Rep. Babajimi Benson.
While the project, like many he had done across the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, has been receiving commendations, residents of the Alhaji Azeez Street located in the middle of the benefitting area and the only street that is yet to be attended to, has appealed to Rep. Benson to consider them too by also constructing their road before the commissioning of the reconstructed roads.
THE IMPACT was in the area on Wednesday, November 3, to assess the level of work done and can authoritatively report that the construction of drainages on both sides of the roads and laying of the asphalt have been completed.
Engr. Mohammed Odaji, the representative of the construction company handling the project, while speaking with our reporter in July when the construction was flagged off, had said that the project included construction of drainages and laying of asphalt and that it would be completed in three months.
Meanwhile, Mrs Fatima Idowu, a resident of Alhaji Azeez Street, commended the lawmaker for coming to the aid of the residents of the area and also expressed her displeasure over the neglect of her street which is the only area left untarred in the axis.
“We thank Hon. Benson for coming to our area to tarred our roads, but we are not happy because we felt neglected and abandoned because our street is the only one left unattended to while other streets in our area have been tarred”, she lamented.
“In actual fact, leaving only our street out is a stain on the just concluded construction of other roads because our street will disfigure what should have been a beautiful road network.
“If this few kilometers with five houses had also been tarred, it would have been better.
“The landlords and tenants have been shouting but we were told that only our street which is the shortest is not listed among roads to be tarred.
“It is not okay the way we have been left out because we are part of the CDA and contributing financially like others. We also voted our honourable (Jimi Benson) and others in his party into office.
“Our appeal is that Hon. Babajimi Benson should please reconsider our case and come to our aid by completing the work that he started by constructing the road in our street too which is connected to the newly constructed roads that he facilitated in other streets”, she appealed.
Another resident, Mr Folarin Olanrewaju, of No 1, Tijani Azeez Street, explained that they agitated before the commencement of the project that their street should be included but that they were told that it would be attended to later.
“We became agitated and fought when we learnt that they were about constructing all the roads in our area except the one in our street”, he said.
“But with what they have done, the exclusion of our street has deformed the whole construction that has been done. Though, we were told that it will be done later but we know that will not happen.
“They have completed the construction and it will be commissioned any moment from now but that is unfair to the residents of Alhaji Azeez Street which has about five or six houses”.
He said that erosion has been threatening the the street and that the failure to consider it for construction along with others will have further negative effects on the residents.
“We have been suffering from erosion which is affecting our buildings and whenever there is rain, it will definitely have adverse effects on the road that has just been constructed”, Olanrewaju lamented.
He also appealed that the construction of Alhaji Azeez Street should be done before the commissioning of the completed projects.
“We are appealing to Hon Babajimi Benson to reconsider our street for construction to fully enhance the laudable job that he embarked upon in the area”, he begged.
“We want him to also construct the road in our street and commission it alongside the ones in other three streets that have just been completed to make the entire project look beautiful.
“That is the only way that we can fully appreciate what he has done for us. A situation where other sides were considered for construction and our own street left out is not fair.
“We are only pleading for intervention and we shall be appreciative if our plea finds favour with our representative”.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area, Alhaji Ola4 Sulaimon, while commending the lawmaker, said that nobody in the area ever thought that the roads can be remembered for construction.
He said that the Ikorodu Local Government has pledged to undertake the construction of the Alhaji Azeez Street to complement the efforts of the federal lawmaker.
“Just look at our area, is it not wonderful? Who could have thought that this area could be like this because we had lost fate after so many attempts to make the government come to our aid”, the politician said.
“We are indeed thankful to Hon. Benson for coming to do this for us. We are grateful for his quality representation.
“He is indeed a people’s representative and we still want him to continue representing us and when the time comes for Ikorodu to produce the governor after Sanwo – Olu, he is a good candidate to represent us”.
Speaking on the Alhaji Azeez Street and the concern of its residents, Alhaji Sulaimon said:
“We did everything that we could but the street wasn’t considered in the project and there is nothing that the lawmaker could do but we have approached the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman for intervention and he has promised to do the road”.
Another resident, who identified himself as Luqman, also commended the lawmaker for facilitating the project.
“I don’t know what to say bros, because this is a very good project. Many of us grew up here and we know how erosion threatens our properties and damaged our vehicles due to the terrible state of the road. Many injuries were equally inflicted on our old people and children”, he said.
“In actual fact, many car owners parked their vehicles far away and walked home because that is more sensible than bringing your car to be damaged by the bad roads in our area. But today, we are all smiling because we have a quality representative who is passionate about his people’s welfare.
“I want him to assist in lightening up the roads too. May God continue to bless Babajimi Benson for remembering us here”, he prayed.
We are unable to reach Rep. Babajimi Benson as at the time of going to the press with this news.
