Residents of Irewolede Estate in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, who were evicted from their homes, have gone to court to challenge the action of the state government.
They were evicted for failing to complete payment of mortgages on their houses within the time stipulated by the Ayo Fayose administration.
But they were saved by the intervention of traditional rulers and the state’s prominent indigenes, who pleaded on their behalf after which government granted an extension of three months within which to complete their payment.
The embattled estate residents now have up to November 30 to pay up or face a fresh eviction exercise expected to begin on December 1.
In a suit filed by their counsel Rafiu Balogun at an Ado-Ekiti High Court, the Irewolede Estate Landlords through their chairman Ayo Orebe and 17 others are seeking an order for the payment of N20 million as aggravated and exemplary damages for trespass, humiliation, assault and degrading treatment meted out to them by the defendants.
The defendants/respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of Ekiti State (first), Ekiti State Housing Corporation (second), Ekiti State Commissioner of Police (third) and Ekiti State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (fourth).
Attached to the Writ of Summons are relevant documents like receipts of initial deposits, letters of provisional allocation of houses to claimants by the housing corporation and applications for mortgage loans.
The claimants are also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants either by themselves or by their agents, servants, workers, officers and men of the third and fourth defendants from ejecting or further disturbing them as they have not committed any breach of purchase/mortgage agreement until the agreement is determined by court.
Another relief sought is a declaration that the acts of Ekiti State Government and second defendant by forcibly entering into the estate, assaulting the claimants, locking them out using the officers and men of the third and fourth defendants and political thugs amount to breach of context and tortuous acts of assault and trespass.
They equally prayed the court for a declaration that the purchase/mortgage agreement entered into with the second defendant in respect of their houses located in the estate as contained in their respective letters of offer is subsisting and government and housing corporation are duty bound to honour same.
In the statement on oath of the first claimant (Orebe), he averred that house owners were requested to pay the total costs of the houses within the period ranging from five to 15 years from the day offer letters were written to them by the second defendant.
He added that house owners have not even exhausted the initial period of five years within which to pay up let alone asking for an extension of another five years as provided for in the letters of offer.
Orebe said: “I know that we were flabbergasted and rattled when the present administration under the leadership of Governor Ayo Fayose summoned us for a meeting and handed down a strong warning to us that we must pay up all the purchase prices within a period of one month or face dire and terrible consequences of ejection.
“I know that Mr. Governor also went on air both at the state radio and television stations to embarrass all of us by saying publicly that we are occupying our houses free of charge. This was done to deliberately to incite Ekiti people against us and expose us to ridicule and hatred.
“I know that the state government started making good its threat when Governor Fayose ordered the invasion of the estate by armed policemen, civil defence officers and political thugs on August 5th and 6th, 2015, who sealed some houses and harassed occupants.
“The situation was so bad that my four-day-old baby and his mother, my wife, were locked up inside my house and the keys were taken away.”
The Police in Bauchi have advised parents to caution their children on the dangers of accepting “sweets, chocolates and biscuit” gifts from unknown persons.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state DSP Haruna Mohammed said in Bauchi yesterday that the advice had become necessary to safeguard children from people with evil intentions.
Haruna, who is embarking on a sensitization campaign in schools, also urged parents to monitor and ensure that their children related with a responsible peer group.
“Parents are advised to closely monitor their children, know their peer group and also discourage them from collecting gift items such as sweets, biscuits and chocolates from strangers ,as these are the easiest ways to initiate them into secret cults and other social vices,” he said.
A group, under the aegis of Youth Alliance for Better Nigeria (YABN) and residents of Agege and Mafoluku Oshodi have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to beam searchlight on all electricity distribution companies across the country in his current campaign against corruption.
The group said there is the urgent need for the Federal Government to set up a committee that will monitor the operations of these companies to checkmate their inefficiencies, even as it maintained that there is a lot of misconduct on the part of the companies in the distribution of electricity as well as extortion of money from customers through coded and estimation bills.
The group suggested that the Federal Government should revoke the licences of the private companies and bar them from distributing electricity to consumers. It alleged that the electricity distribution companies were operating contrary to the laid down rules of the Federal Government and National Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC).
The group alleged that the companies are over-billing the residents despite poor services rendered to them compared to the period of the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The group expressed its resentment to the situation in which some of the companies sell the pre-paid metres to costumers at a high price instead of giving them free to residents.
•Resident protesting prolong power outage
Joined by residents of Agege and Mafoluku Oshodi, the group embarked on a peaceful protest to the State Secretariat, Alausa, to register their displeasure and grievances against the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) over its poor operation, outrageous bills, epileptic power supply lack of pre-paid metres and unlawful disconnection of their electric wires, among others complaints.
No fewer than 50 buses conveyed the more than 3,000 residents to the State House. Adorned in all black attire to signify darkness which the company represents, some of them held placards with many inscription such as “we want pre-paid/smart metres,” “pre-paid metres will surely put a stop to IKEDC fraudulent act,” “Agege people are not chronic debtors,” “we are suffering from their unjustifiable net arrears of IKEDC,” “90 per cent buildings in Agege and Mafoluku Oshodi fall into the category of coded/estimated bills,” “we know they are intentionally starving us of the pre-paid metres,” and “save Agege/Mafoluku from the hands of this electrical Boko Haram.”
Southwest Report gathered that the crisis between the IKEDC and the residents began in January, and efforts made to resolve the issues were not successful as the company always ignores the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreement both parties entered into.
The residents said the overbilling of customers in the name of coded and estimation bills which IKEDC and other electricity distribution companies indulge in are part of corruption which President Buhari is waging war against, adding that their operations must be scrutinised.
Speaking during the protest at Alausa, the President of the group, Adegoke Moruf Niniola, said the residents are suffering and smiling, saying residents should be spared the hassles of spending their little income on estimation bills, coded metres and higher billing of IKEDC.
According to Niniola, all efforts made by the residents for the company to improve their services yielded no result; instead their bills keep on increasing at the end of every month.
He said several meetings have been held with the company in order to find solution to the issues.
“We have had series of meeting with the company on March 16, April 7, May 26 and June 28, this year. The meetings aimed at addressing the outrageous billings, epileptic power supply, quick distribution of pre-paid metres, maintenance of transformers, reconnection of fallen poles and cables and nonchalant attitude of their workers to the customers,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “A situation where residents used electricity for 72 hours in a month but ended up getting bills for 720 hours per month in the name of coded and estimated bills is unacceptable. The fraudulent act has rendered many Nigerians redundant. Many of the residents operating small-scale businesses can no longer continue because their little incomes were used to pay for electricity and fuelling their generating sets.”
Niniola urged the government to stop the IKEDC from charging residents before releasing the pre-paid metres. He said plans by some members of staff of the company to demand N6, 000 payments before giving out the new metres to residents have been uncovered.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hon. Tunji Bello, who addressed the residents on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, praised the group and residents for the peaceful protest, promising that government would take necessary steps to address the issues raised.
Youths from Umuapu and Umuagwo communities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, at the weekend, barricaded the Port Harcourt/Owerri road to protest the bad condition of the road.
They said the abandoned road, which was awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was devastated by erosion, which cut it into two, thus isolating the communities from others.
Youth leader Mr. Festus Chukwu said since the construction firm abandoned the road, people had died as a result of accidents.
According to him, they blocked the road to attract the relevant authorities, as all entreaties had been ignored.
He called on the government to prevail on the NDDC and its contractors to rectify the failed portions of the road and complete the project to prevent further demonstrations.
The state government has assured the people that the failed portion of the road would be rectified soon.
Addressing the protesters, Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Kingsley Uju, regretted that the NDDC abandoned the work at Umuapu, resulting in the cutting of the road into two.
Uju lamented that business had come to a halt because of the bad road but he assured the protesting youth that he would lead them on a protest if by next week, the NDDC and its contractor failed to act.
Thursday was a bad day for many residents of Irewolede Estate in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as they were forcibly evicted from their homes by the Ayo Fayose administration for alleged failure to complete payment of their mortgages. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that reprieve came their way on Saturday when the deadline for payment was extended to November.
For many residents of Irewolede Estate that was later renamed Adekunle Fajuyi Estate, Thursday, August 6 was a day they would never forget in a hurry.
It was a day they witnessed the fury of a government that was bent on recovering the proceeds from the mortgage on the houses in the estate.
A combined team of armed policemen, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and officials of the State Housing Corporation stormed the estate to evict owners of houses who were yet to complete payment of their mortgages.
They were armed with guns, padlocks, chains and other gadgets in order to effect the “order from above”.
one of the buldozers tearing down.
Bulldozers were also busy pulling down what government officials referred to as “illegal structures” in the estate.
The operation was already in full swing at 10:00 a.m. when the operatives moved into the houses of the ‘defaulters’, forcing out the occupants and sealing off their residences.
Helpless wives, children and other relations were wailing uncontrollably; unsure of where next they would call their homes.
Government had, two months earlier, served them notice to pay up or be ejected, but raising the money within the short period was a task too taxing for many of them.
While some succeeded “one way or the other” to pay up, most of them, especially those who still had long ways to go to complete their payment, couldn’t meet the deadline.
Apparently learning from a Yoruba axiom which says “a war long declared well ahead of time would not consume a wise cripple”, many of the landlords in the estate who were unable to meet the deadline had since left to avoid the ignominy of being forced out of their homes.
They had left their residences to put up with relations, friends, members of the same faith and other Good Samaritans in other parts of the city.
Others who had nowhere to go to stayed put to face the fury of the “unwanted visitors”.
one of the locked gates
It was a pitiable sight to see landlords and landladies in the estate locked out of their residences for allegedly owing ‘millions’ of Naira and becoming homeless in a matter of minutes.
When reporters visited the estate again at 2:00 p.m., security personnel were seen at the gate, while the staff of the Ekiti State Housing Corporation were screening the landlords and identifying those that defaulted and prevented them from gaining entry into the estate.
A shouting march ensued in some houses as some landlords displayed documents to show that they had fulfilled their payment obligation but wondered how their names got into the defaulters’ list.
One of the residents claimed that his dogs which were barking ferociously at the invaders were shot dead.
The drama-of-the-day took place at the home of the chairman of the estate landlords’ association, Ayo Orebe, whose wife and three-day-old baby were locked inside by men of the task force in a bid to enforce the order.
Governor Fayose had earlier constituted a committee, headed by the Deputy
Governor, Dr Kolapo Olusola, to interface with the landlords, from where a directive was given to each of them to pay the amount authorised by the mortgage agreement on or before August 5, or face mass ejection.
The action was also entangled in the web of political intrigues as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) traded accusations on the eviction.
While the Fayose-led government said the eviction had no political undertone, the APC said it was targeted at opposition figures who served during the Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi administrations.
Many ex-government officials claimed they have a subsisting repayment agreement which are still ongoing, but wondered how they could be told overnight to complete payment within two months.
While speaking with reporters, residents of the estate lamented the indescribable hardship the sealing order had caused them.
A resident, Bolaji Fasanmi, alleged that government was biased in its mode of operation, stressing that some buildings belonging to the executive of the estate were placed under lock and key while those who owe huge sums of money were left unsealed.
Orebe
Mr. Orebe argued that they have mortgage between 10 to 25 years for civil servants and five to 10 years for politicians which he said the government has contravened.
He appealed to the governor to grant them more time to be able to respond to payment, saying the forced eviction could aggravate the poor economic situations of his members.
Orebe, however, blamed the Federal Mortgage Bank for its refusal to disburse funds to banks, claiming that some of his members had subscribed to the bank without remitting same to the government.
He said the sordid scenario would not have happened, but for the stoppage of disbursement of funds by Federal Mortgage Bank under President Goodluck Jonathan-led government.
Orebe urged the governor to set up machinery for the harmonisation of all the agreements reached by landlords for the payment through Aso Savings, Mortgage and outright purchase policies, so that members could be more committed to the payment schedules.
Orebe, who displayed evidence of his payment before reporters, explained that he has fulfilled his obligations through the primary mortgage institution and his house was still placed under lock and key with a three-day-old baby inside the house.
The chairman added that some of them had been living in the estate since 2008, while some moved into the estate in 2011, saying it will be wrong for them to be pushed out in this disastrous way, having contributed immensely to the development of the estate.
“Some of the landlords bought their houses through mortgage arrangement and outright purchase, which will last for a period of 10 years and five years for the payment of the full money respectively.
“Some of us have renovated our residences, spending several thousands of Naira. Some of the landladies are widows whose husbands bought the houses and died few months after they moved in here.
“These widows have no means of livelihood and there is no way they can continue with the payment. Should we now ask those people to vacate for their inabilities to pay?” he asked.
Continuing, he said: “My people are aware of their indebtedness and we have even confirmed to government when the Deputy Governor met with us. But it will be difficult for us to pay this huge amount within a spate of short time.
“But if proper arrangement is worked out, the government will get its money and it will, at the same time, be easy for us to pay. We shall be grateful if government could grant us this opportunity.”
When contacted to speak on the matter, the General Manager, Ekiti State Housing Corporation, Soji Awe was hostile to reporters as he refused to comment on the development.
Throughout the time the uproar lasted, many of the residents did not know their fate as to whether they would lose their houses completely or be given the grace to pay up as some of the buildings have been demolished by the agents of the state government.
But the state government justified its action when it claimed that house owners yet to complete payment owe government over N800 million.
It maintained that the sealing-off of the houses of defaulting occupants of Irewolede Estate has no political undertone; alleging that the affected persons “have bluntly refused to meet their contractual obligations to the government”.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, the government said out of 254 allocated houses in the estate, only 37 of those who were allotted houses had paid fully, adding that 217 were yet to complete payment.
“The total amount being owed by the allottees as at the time Governor Fayose assumed office was N904, 635,556.57.
“Total amount recovered since Governor Fayose assumed office was N82 million. Some of the allottees have sold or rented out the houses allocated to them.
“The allottees cut across political parties, as there are notable leaders of the PDP and APC among them. It is therefore not political. Over N800 million is being owed by the allottees as at today.
“Today alone, over N5 million was paid by some of the allottees. The government is insisting that allottees that have declined to pay for the houses allocated to them must pay. Those who are not defaulting did not have their houses sealed.
“Because Governor Fayose directed that Irewolede Housing Estate, Ado-Ekiti be sealed off because of the allottees’ refusal to pay for the houses allocated to them, over N10 million was paid today alone!
“One of the allottees paid N1million, another one paid N396, 500; two others paid N324, 000 and N225, 000 respectively. Others made payments ranging from N45, 000 to N70, 000.
“In all, 27 allottees have made payments as at 2:00 p.m., making a total sum of N87, 447,644 recovered today,” he said.
But the state chapter of the APC would have none of that as he alleged that the action was primarily targeted at its leaders, members, innocent civil servants and other members of the public perceived to have sympathy for the party.
In a statement on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC described the action as “barbaric, heartless and brutish, as a three-day-old baby and her mother were locked inside the house”.
The APC said: “The action was like a movie from the blues as dangerous-looking thugs and some policemen from the Government House invaded the estate and started harassing residents, sealing off their houses.
“This caused panic among residents, including women and children, some of whom suffered shock,” it explained.
Olatunbosun regretted that the governor behaved “in this reckless manner” even though there was a subsisting mortgage agreement, which allowed the residents to pay over five to 10 years, but Fayose insisted that all the money must be paid within one month.
“As if this harassment was not enough, bulldozers have been moved into the estate to demolish structures which they claimed were constructed without approval in an apparent move to inflict pain on our members.
“If approval was not obtained, the right thing to do is to ask such people to pay the required amount and not to resort to demolition, which is in bad faith,” he said.
Olatunbosun added that the governor had earlier impounded monetised vehicles to political appointees who served in Fayemi’s administration.
Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to save members of the APC from the governor’s iron rule, Olatunbosun warned that further harassment of APC members would be resisted by all means civil.
“Fayose should be called to order by all men and women of goodwill, as his reign of impunity is becoming embarrassing to all citizens of the state.
“His continuous trampling on the fundamental rights of citizens should be checked without further delay,” Olatunbosun said.
Following the outcry generated by the massive eviction from the estate, traditional rulers and other prominent citizens of the state made representations to Governor Fayose to show mercy to those affected.
After meeting the Obas and some leading lights of Ekiti State, Fayose, on Saturday, granted concession to the “defaulting landlords” by extending deadline for payment till November 30 while government will resume action on December 1.
Another press statement issued on Saturday by Adelusi on Fayose’s behalf said the extension was considered due to intervention by the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, other traditional rulers and some prominent Ekiti indigenes.
He claimed that the monarchs and other eminent Ekiti citizens condemned the “lackadaisical attitude of the defaulting landlords” but pleaded with the governor to give them more time to pay up.
“The governor, however, showed compassion but warned against defaulting, stating that government will resume action against defaulters by December 1.
“Since the government action began, N13 million has been paid by some ýof the defaulters”, the statement concluded. With the temporary reprieve given to the beleaguered landlords and other residents in the estate, they are in a race against time to raise the money as another extension may not be granted.
Meanwhile, lawyers to the victims of forcible ejection have sought police protection for their clients.
They warned Governor Fayose against “avoidable violent clash between residents and law enforcement agents” over his handling of a civil matter that did not follow legal procedure.
The residents have also reacted to their plight, calling on the police authorities not to allow their men be used for illegal activities against law-abiding citizens. In a letter dated August 6, 2015, the Law Chambers of R.O. Balogun and Company called the attention of Ekiti State Commissioner of Police to the alleged Fayose-induced breach of mortgage agreement in the purchase of their clients’ houses.
“Our clients applied to the Housing Corporation for purchase of their houses and accepted the offer and paid the initial deposit in line with the Letters of Offer and took possession, and, accordingly, all of them have been occupying their respective houses, having paid the initial deposit in line with the agreement.
“By the tenure of the sale agreement, our clients are requested to pay the total cost of their houses within the period of five years from the day Offer Letters were written to them by the corporation,” the lawyers explained.
They added that the agreement also included extension of another five years to make it convenient to pay up the mortgage sum, regretting that even the first five years had not been exhausted let alone the extension of time before the governor moved against their clients.
“It is worrisome that the governor can be threatening fire and brimstone when the tenure of the mortgage has not expired.
“During the last meeting His Excellency had with our clients, he restated his threat pointblank that he will eject our clients and allocate their houses to interested buyers contrary to the mortgage agreement,” the lawyers said.
They urged the Commissioner of Police to protect their clients and prevent avoidable breakdown of law and order and its adverse consequences.
In a separate petition to the police, the residents and house owners in the estate also alleged illegal use of policemen by the governor to forcibly evict them from their homes.
In the petition also copied to the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase; National Human Rights Commission and State Director of the Department of State Services by their chairman, Ayodele Orebe; and Secretary Fidelis Adikwu, the residents complained of harassment and forceful eviction, following refusal of the governor to accept a mortgage agreement with Ekiti State Housing Corporation in the payment for their houses.
“We wish to intimate you of the subsisting mortgage repayment agreement with the State Housing Corporation ranging from five to 10 years.
“However, the corporation suddenly made a U-turn to renege on the agreement on the instruction of the governor by insisting that we must pay up in just one month,” they explained.
They said they were shocked on Thursday when armed policemen and thugs were led by some aides of the governor to seal off the houses and, in the process, a three-day-old baby and her mother were locked inside their house and the thugs went away with the keys.
They said all efforts to have audience with the governor were futile, as he insisted of having his way.
“We see this as a brazen impunity, unnecessary victimisation and violation of our fundamental human rights and we urge you to use your good offices to prevent your men from being used for illegal and inhuman actions, as the residents have not breached their repayment agreement,” they said.
They also urged the police to protect the residents against any form of harassment and forceful eviction that does not have the backing of the court of law.
The residents of Adadu community in Kwali Area Council have urged the council administration to provide a clinic for them to resolve their health challenges.
Speaking in an interview, the chief of the community, Habila Joshua stated that the residents especially the women and children need a health facility, adding that expectant mothers usually deliver at their homes because the nearest hospital to them is very far.
Speaking further, he said that when there are complications, taking the women in labour to the hospital is always an uphill task.
“Our roads are very bad. So in order not to complicate the situation, the woman who is in labour is carried on someone’s back. Normally, we use motorcycles for transportation but carrying a woman on a bike and on the bumpy road is a difficult task,” he said.
Habila also stated that the bad road in the community has cut it off from other communities as the people find it hard to transport themselves from the community to another due to the bad road and called on the council to help them in solving their problems.
He expressed gratitude to the government for providing potable water to the community adding that the availability of the water has help the people a great deal in their quest for clean drinking water.
“We are grateful that we were remembered. We need more things like a clinic. We have to go to far places to receive health care. Because the roads are bad, it takes us hours to get to access a clinic. We are happy that we have a primary school. We remember we always remember we have a government with the school,” the community chief said.
he residents of Adadu community in Kwali Area Council have urged the council administration to provide a clinic for them to resolve their health challenges.
Speaking in an interview, the chief of the community, Habila Joshua stated that the residents especially the women and children need a health facility, adding that expectant mothers usually deliver at their homes because the nearest hospital to them is very far.
Speaking further, he said that when there are complications, taking the women in labour to the hospital is always an uphill task.
“Our roads are very bad. So in order not to complicate the situation, the woman who is in labour is carried on someone’s back. Normally, we use motorcycles for transportation but carrying a woman on a bike and on the bumpy road is a difficult task,” he said.
Habila also stated that the bad road in the community has cut it off from other communities as the people find it hard to transport themselves from the community to another due to the bad road and called on the council to help them in solving their problems.
He expressed gratitude to the government for providing potable water to the community adding that the availability of the water has help the people a great deal in their quest for clean drinking water.
“We are grateful that we were remembered. We need more things like a clinic. We have to go to far places to receive health care. Because the roads are bad, it takes us hours to get to access a clinic. We are happy that we have a primary school. We remember we always remember we have a government with the school,” the community chief said.
Residents and commuters have urged management of the Diamond Bank Plc branch at Ikot Ekpene Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State, to decongest the traffic build-up around its offices especially when its bullion vans come in to deposit cash or take it away.
The hilly road is usually blocked, causing motorists all sorts of problems.
Commuters fear that except the trend is checked, accidents could result when heavy-duty vehicles breaks fail and roll uncontrollably downhill.
The road which is busy, especially in the morning hours, has become a danger to road users, as the two-way lane is always blocked any day the vans come to deliver money, leaving motorists to make do with just one lane.
A motorist interviewed, who does not want his name in print, described the situation as unfortunate as the bank’s bullion vans puts motorists in danger any day they come to drop or collect it.
He said on two occasions, ghastly crashes were averted only by the grace of God and that many lives would have been lost due to the blocked road.
Another motorist who gave her name as Mrs Kalu Mercy said there was a day when she also escaped death, having to stop her car suddenly owing to reckless driving of the bullion van driver.
Mrs Kalu said that she was taking her children to school when the incident happened.
She called on the management of the bank to find a way manage their bullion van movements to avoid blocking the entire road.
She said that one side of the lane on the road should be blocked instead of the entire road, so that the busy road would remain open for motorists.
Residents of Ejigbo and Ikotun areas of Lagos have commended the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on the commencement of repair works of Ejigbo-Ikotun and Okota Road, which had been a nightmare for motorists.
It would be recalled that Governor Ambode paid an unscheduled visit to the area a fortnight ago, describing the state of the road as unacceptable and assured residents that the road will get a face lift soon.
In line with his assurance, the governor last week mobilised the Lagos State Public Works Corporation to commence work on the network of roads.
The Ekerin of Isolo, Chief Samina Lawal, hailed the governor for the action and appealed for speedy execution of the project.
Chairman of Ndigbo in All Progressives Congress (APC), Kanayo Osondu urged the government to consider a total rehabilitation of the road, saying that the palliative work has reduced travel time from Ago Roundabout to Cele.
Osondu said: “Before this palliative work, we spend about one hour to move from Ago Roundabout to Cele Bus Stop, but since the road was repaired, it takes just about five minutes. It is a good measure for traffic to flow. You know that people going to Ikotun Egbe, Jakande Estate and Ijegun all ply through Cele and the traffic is always heavy. We thank the Governor for this quick intervention.
“But then, if nothing concrete is done, by the time rain comes again, it would wash away the palliative. It is better the contract is awarded so that a permanent solution can be put in place”, he said.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr Paul Bamgbose-Martins appealed for the cooperation of motorists in the area for free flow of traffic especially as the reconstruction work progresses, assuring speedy action on it.
Immediate past chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Kehinde Bamigbetan, said people of the area are elated that within 60 days of his administration, the Governor could promptly come to their aid.
He pointed out that the road, which was last done about 30 years ago, could not cater for the population presently living in the area, hence the need for more permanent and total reconstruction of the road.
The residents of Adadu community in Kwali area council has called on the council administration to provide a clinic in the area so as to alleviate the suffering of the residents as it comes to getting quality health care.
Speaking during an interview recently, the chief of the community, Habila Joshua stated that the residents especially the women and children needed a health facility which can cater to their health needs.
He stated that pregnant women usually deliver at their homes because of the distance of the hospital in the area adding that when there was complication in the pregnancy, taking the woman in labour to a hospital was always an uphill task.
“Our roads are very bad. So in order not to complicate the situation, the woman who is in labour are carried on someone’s back. Normally, we use motor cycles for transportation but carrying a woman in a bike and in the bumpy road is a difficult task,” he said.
Habila also stated that the bad road in the community has cut it off from other communities as the people find it hard to transport themselves from the community to another due to the bad road and called on the council to help them in solving their problems.
He expressed gratitude to the government for providing potable water to the community adding that the availability of the water has help the people a great deal in their quest for a clwan drinkable water.
‘’We are grateful that we were remembered. We need more things like a clinic. We have to go to far places to receive health care. Because the road are bad, it takes us hours to get to access a clinic. We are happy that we have a primary school. We remember we always remember we have a government with the school,’’ the community chief said.
As part of measures to enhance the well-being of residents of Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State, the Executive Secretary of the council Mr Adekunle Dally-Adeokun has urged the people to ensure that their surroundings are neat at all times. This, he said, would prevent them from being affected by some life-threatening health challenges, even as he added that clean environment would ensure their good health.
Mr Dally-Adeokun spoke while inspecting the extent of compliance by residents of the area to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held last Saturday. He appealed to the residents to co-operate with the council in its efforts to rid the area of filth and garbage, so as to promote healthy environment.
The council chief also pledged to work towards ensuring that residents of various communities have attitudinal change on the environment.
He noted that “clean environment translates to having access to safe water, low risks to health from micro-organisms proliferating in the environment as well as the physical cleanliness of the individuals. It also entails a conscious attitudinal change towards safe disposal of generated domestic wastes.
“Our failure to adequately manage the environment contributes enormously to the burden of health care related infections; a burden of disease that we know can be substantially reduced to the benefit of both the affected persons and the health care system itself.”
Mr. Dally-Adeokun maintained that sustainable development evolves through a realisation that there is a great relationship between the environment and the economy; where the environment is poorly maintained, there is the likelihood that there would be extreme poverty. Our economy is facing towering challenges that call for bold, constructive ideas on how our environment can best be taken care of.
“Having a clean environment has many benefits. These benefits are long-lasting and guide us to a healthy living. These include prevention of diseases such as cholera, malaria and also tetanus,” he added.
He, however, expressed regret that some residents, almost always have disregard for proper waste disposal system, even as he said they indiscriminately dump garbage in water channels, an action he said could result in some discomforting health challenges for the residents.
‘’We are appealing to residents to strictly observe environmental sanitation exercise. Today, we are not satisfied with the level of compliance, especially in Ward D and Ward P. We are going to enforce the law. We are giving final notice to those who flout the law.
‘’The residents should co-operate with the council to rid the council area of dirt by removing garbage thrown in the drainage system; especially in front their houses.”
The council would help to evacuate the garbage and also work towards making residents of various communities in the council to maintain clean environment,” he said.
Corroborating the council chief’s view, the chairman Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Osinberu Salukaleen said in their monthly Landlords’/ Tenants’ meetings, they would continue to enlighten them on the benefits of keeping their environments clean.
He lamented the nonchalant attitudes of some of the residents who block water channel through dumping of domestic wastes in them.
He urged residents of the community to imbibe good sanitation habits as a way of staying healthy and keeping environmental hazards at bay, saying cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Mr Salukaleen, therefore, urged people of the community to ensure clean environment, saying a dirty environment is a threat to health of children.
Meanwhile, the council chief, in company of some council officials, inspected some streets such as Obafemi Awolowo, Ipodo and Iiori Moses, among others during exercise.
