The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Magodo

  • Council flags off Magodo road

    The Sole Administrator of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Aremo Abdul Adewale, has kicked off the construction of Basheer Shittu Street in Magodo GRA, Phase II.

    Adewale said that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has demonstrated commitment to infrastructural development.

    He told reporters that all local government areas in the state have been are following the governor’s footsteps at the grassroots.

    The council chief, spoke of the determination of his administration to improve the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), also unfolded informed his plans to rehabilitate roads in the area.

    His words: “When I assumed office, I met with the Magodo Residents Association (MRA) on the need for them to pay their rates and levies to the council’s purse. They disclosed that they have not been paying their rates because they have not felt the impact of the council in their community.

    “At that stage, we agreed that if the council could construct the left lane of Basheer Shittu Street to upgrade it to a dual carriageway, the residents would be ready to support the council by paying their rates and levies to the council’s pause.”

    Adewale assured the residents that the construction work on the road would be completed within two weeks.

     

    MRA Chairman, Mr. Kunle Eludire, welcomed the step taken by the council to rehabilitate the road and pledged the residents’ support to the council for the completion of the work.

    The road, according to the Council Engineer, Funmilayo Adesanya, is 714 meter in length and its specification including grading, provision of stone base, rolling, asphalt laying and lining.

  • Chibok girls: Ambode backs Buhari’s rescue effort

    Chibok girls: Ambode backs Buhari’s rescue effort

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has on Thursday pledged support for the President Muhammadu Buhari led – administration to ensure the safe return of the missing over 200 school girls in Chibok village of Borno state.

    Ambode made the promise when members of the “Bring Back Our Girls Campaign Movement’’ visited him at governor’s office at Alausa, Ikeja to commemorate the 500 days of the abduction of 217 Chibok girls.

    “’We appreciate your persistency and consistency to this noble course which has kept hope alive in the last 500 days.

    “’We are more disturbed about the reaction of the past administration, which was inadequate and globally condemned.

    “I want to state categorically that my administration truly identifies with the position expressed by President Buhari as he has vowed to bring back the girls alive.

    “We pray that God will grant our prayers and make their safe return a reality as well as grant their parents the strength to carry on,’’ he said.

    Ambode promised to be committed to the upkeep and welfare of the internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and ensure that they were comfortable.

    Earlier, Mrs Aisha Oyebode, the Coordinator of the Lagos chapter of the movement, decried the slow pace of government’s efforts in the rescue operation of the missing girls.

    Oyebode, who was represented by Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director of Women Advocates’ Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) said there was need for the girls’ rescue.

    She said the movement had engaged many relevant agencies, stakeholders, state governors and even President Buhari, but all to no avail as the girls had yet to be rescued.

    According to her, the movement is demanding that the Nigerian government fulfils its constitutional role of ensuring that the welfare of Nigerians is prioritised.

    “This abduction has affected education in the North-East, especially the education of the girl-child. Government needs to do something to avoid the long term effect of these problems.

    “The Chibok girls are not the only victims of insurgency, there are many men and women being kidnapped in the North-East on daily basis.

    “This insurgency has also displaced over two million Nigerians and some of them are in Lagos State,’’ she said.

    “We call on the Lagos State Government to support the demands to ensure that its relevant agencies fulfil its legal role of safe guarding the welfare of IDPs.

    “We urge Gov. Ambode to ensure that the immediate needs of the IDPs in Kirikiri, Ibeju-Lekki and Magodo are met, especially the right to education and healthcare as applicable to other residents.

    “Also, we urge you to commission a security review of all public schools in the state to ensure the safety of school children,’’ Oyebode said.

    She appeal to Ambode to relay their demands to other state governors at their next Governors’ Forum to aid collective fight against insurgency, boost rescue operation of the Chibok girls and ensure the welfare of IDPs.

    In her remarks, Mrs Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, urged Ambode to utilise his position to support the movement.

    “You have shown so much commitment and action to the welfare of the people in your short stay in office.’’

    Moses Zakwa, Chairman, Chibok Community in Lagos, said that there were no functional schools in Chibok presently and that all the young indigenes had fled the community abandoning the aged.

    “We are so concerned because the abduction of these girls had turned our community to a desert.

    “We appreciate Lagos State for accommodating some of our displaced people and we beg Gov. Ambode to help in finding a lasting solution to the problems of the Chibok people,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that the female students were kidnapped from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno, on the night of April 15, 2014.

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  • Erosion: Fear grips Magodo residents

    Ordinarily, the high-profile residents of Magodo-Isheri Government Reservation Area (GRA), Gateway Zone in Ikosi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State shouldn’t lose sleep over the coming rains. But, they are already upset by the likely “invasion” of the area by erosion when the rains come down heavily.

    Erosion, The Nation learnt, had destroyed almost the entire landscape of the estate, thus making the roads impassable and causing severe hardship for the residents, who are mostly retired professionals and many serving others across all fields of human endeavour.

    Speaking to The Nation, Adebisi Oderinde, one of the landlords in the estate, said: “Our situation now is like preparing for war whenever rainy season approaches.”

    It was learnt that the residents had, in the past, resorted to self-help in grading the roads and providing electricity supply. But recently, the Lagos State Public Works Bureau graded some of the affected roads partially.

    Some of the affected routes include: Ayo Fasugba, Gateway Crescent, Peggy Oshibogun, Osuade Oyediran and Olatunji.

    Oderinde said: “We want the governor to assist us; we have done the drains, but to make the roads motorable, a thorough work is needed and we cannot afford it. The Public Works people came and graded some parts; we are grateful to them, but after two rains, the old order returned. So, we need the government to revisit our case. It is going to be war when the rains descend.”

    Prof Osuade Oyediran, who retired from the University of Lagos, said: “The government started this work; we appeal that it completes the work.”

    Nelson Sulola, who chairs Gateway Residents Association, said:” This is beyond us. We have put up some infrastructure, but we need the government to come and help us now.”