In what seem to be an opportunity long waited for to express their emotions on the on-going construction of a 360 metres bridge and over three kilometre road aimed at decongesting the Abeokuta Expressway via Ekoro Road/Abule-Egba all in Agbado- Okeodo LCDA linking the Low Cost Housing Estate in Abesan and Ipaja Road both in Mosan-Okunola LCDA, the residents of Giwa Street and environs in Aboru community trouped out to express their unreserved gratitude to the action and performing governor of Lagos State Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.
The General Secretary of Giwa Landlord Association who incidentally was the former Community Development Association (CDA) Chairman of Omotoye CDA, Chief Akorede Odumosu spoke on behalf of the residents and said; the community is full of praises as the governor has linked their community to other communities within the Alimosho LGA after many years of neglect. In his words “this will bring unprecedented development within this community and will ease the stress of accessing Aboru both by residents and visitors which will in turn transform the Agbado-Okeodo LCDA”.
While answering questions from our correspondent on what life has been like before this construction, he said he would rather not want to remember those years of immense pains and hardship to access their homes and to visit other neighbouring communities, he also informed our correspondent that the only means of accessing the community via the Abesan axis was through a wooden pedestrian bridge which was as dangerous as anything one could imagine.
On completion of the project, our correspondent asked him on the community efforts the CDA is putting in place so as to maintain the roads, he said the CDA have already started warning their residents on the need to maintain a high degree of sanitary, while reiterating that culpable residents will be handed over to the LCDA’s Sanitary Inspection Officers for prosecution at the Customary Court. He went further to inform us that before the commencement of the road in February, the governor visited them and solicited for their support which they assured him and that the support is sacrosanct even after the completion of the job as it will mean waste of tax payers, money if they fail to maintain the road and a breach of that assurance.
Like Oliver Twist who will always ask for more, Chief Odumosu never hesitated in using the medium to appeal on the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) to come to their rescue as the whole community comprising of over 20 streets only has one electric transformer serving the area. He said this has resulted to a high degree epileptic power supply to the area while showing our correspondent a brand new transformer mounted in the area for over ten years now but yet to be installed to serve its purpose.
The only functioning transformer according to him has been in use for over thirty two years now. While recounting all their efforts to get the desired attention for another transformer he said that they have written to several quarters on the matter but to no avail. On behalf of the community he appealed to IKEDC and other relevant authorities to act fast so as to avoid the impending damage on the already exhausted and old transformer.
He also appealed on the LCDA to come to see to the Quadri Street linking Aboru Road, as the road is now a death trap especially to the children who ply it to their school, noting that a portion of the road has collapsed with only a wooden bridge linking the two roads which is usually flooded at any slightest drops of rain, he acknowledged that the road was awarded during the last administration but was abandoned without any meaningful work done on it.
