National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Dayo Emmanuel
Residents of local communities have been enjoined to participate in the governance of their localities.
The call was made by the Director of International Press Centre, Mr. Lanre Arogundade at the at the public presentation and launch of the Community Development Charter For Boshoa, Orile Shomolu and Araromi Odo communities of Lagos State.
The presentation, a community-led initiative on the development aspirations of the named communities is an intervention of the International Press Centre (IPC), under the project titled ‘Strengthening Citizens Engagement in Electoral Process (SCEEP), as implemented in Lagos State by IPC, sponsored by UKaid and act!onaid.
According to Arogundade, “Ordinarily we would have loved to cover all the Local Government Areas but for resources. There are a lot of women in Shomolu, we then said as part of our gender sensitivity we have decided to look into women issue.”
Talking about the publication, Arogundade said, “This kind of thing is unique, it has not been done before, presently, we are looking into Lagos. Act!onaid is focusing on other states like Rivers, Plateau and one other state, we are just in the South West.
Continuing, he said, “We tried to base our project site on earlier media reports, so Local Governments having more problems were first considered. We came out with Shomolu, Ifako Ijaiye and Amuwo Odofin. Ordinarily we would have loved to cover all the Local Governments but for resources, that is why this is just a pilot project. We have had this charter in Mainland Local Government and then in Ikorodu. This is quite unique, it’s the pioneering project and that is why we want the media to report it.”
Speaking at the event, Executive Director, Gender and Development Action (GADA), Mrs. Ada Agina-Ude, stated that women who are at the receiving end must seek to participate in the day-to-day running of local governance in their communities.
“My work is to bridge the government and the people. The women and girls especially should put their eyes into what the government is doing,” she said, adding that, it is not a good practice for women in the communities to stay aloof at the expense of development efforts.
“You cannot keep saying you are not in government, therefore those in government should do whatever they like while you are there singing and dancing as if it does not concern you. That is the worst sin you can commit because it concerns you. The money the government is using is your money, you own shops, you pay tax, it is your money the government is using to carry out its projects for the people.”
Asking what the function of the Local Government is, she noted that the functions include maintenance of the local roads, health centres, treating the drainages and gutters to prevent diseases. “These are things that affect us directly, so we must be involved. Is it good for our vehicles to be getting spoilt every time? When the roads are bad it will happen. Malaria is as a result of daily neglect of our gutters; even worse diseases are in town now due to lack of hygiene. The Local Government has that responsibility,” she said, concluding that, “Government without people’s participation is private business at the people’s expense. This is why people should participate.”
Explaining the development efforts in the area, Representative of Shomolu Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Olowo at the event, narrated the various projects the government has carried out in the communities within his jurisdiction.
Olowo, represented by Alhaji Agbakeke at the presentation said, “In terms of public health centre, the government made efforts that have yielded results. Many roads were constructed, talking about roads, eight roads were constructed.”
Agbakeke however corrected notions of some people that often feel the government is not doing anything. “Let the NGOs too know that the LGA is not sleeping. In the area of roads and drainages, roads were graded, drainages were constructed too to solve the immediate problems,” he said, explaining further that, “Why I am taking the pain to explain is that some people would just think the government is only spending money doing nothing.”
“In the area of education, JAMB forms have been bought for students and arrangements are in top gear to carry out skills acquisition in the area of poverty alleviation. It is necessary to have a place to target the vulnerable groups so that they can be catered for. In area of environmental sanitation, we do monthly environmental sanitation. The elderly are also taken care of, so we are not resting on our oars more so that we have new Local Government Administrator who is a dynamic leader.”
According to Agbakeke, the program spearheaded by IPC would lead to development of Lagos. “I believe this program will have positive impact on all the Local Government Areas in Lagos State where they are working, and it will translate to greater development of the state as a whole.”
A participant, Bolajoko from Boshoa west, complained about drainages unattended to in the community. “Water in our drainage is not going through. When someone buys house and breaks concretes into the gutters, nobody clears the debris. The Local Government should also discourage parking vehicles, abandoning them on the roads.”
On area of sports, a participant, M. G. Batula complained the community is not feeling the presence of the government. “We are not seeing the impart of the Local Government. A government came and build the sports facility for our youths, today this facility has been closed, is this how we would develop our children in sports?”
Representing Orile Shomolu, Toyin Badmus at the event noted “There are abandoned projects but I won’t say they are abandoned until the Local Government tells us they are abandoned. I appreciate IPC and their sponsors on the project. I also appreciate the Local Government on the project on Sodimu street.”
Stating further, Badmus said, “I want the Local Government or the state to look into the abandoned project. We are happy and thanking the government on the Ambode Health Centre, it is a relief to the mothers in the area. If we have markets and no road, it is nonsense. Also, the government is silent on the physically challenged ones, they are many and suffering in silence, the government should do something fast about them.”
A residence of Boshua who introduced himself as Adeola, at the event, complained that the government has not done anything for the youths in the area despite talking about diversifying the economy, the youths are not carried along in this plan.
Comrade Toyin Okanlawon from Bajulaiye community at the program expressed displeasure on the security situation in his community.
“I want to talk on the lapses of the security personnel in our community. The people in charge of security have done nothing,” he lamented. Stating further, Okanlawon said, “We have talked about development, when development comes and no security, it means nothing. The boys in the area have taken advantage of the security lapses, breaking shops, raping people at gun point by 8pm in the community.”
While the government representatives continue to reel out its development efforts in the communities, it seems the residents are yet to feel such impacts. A business woman in the area, High Chief (Dr.) Mrs. Modupe Oluwole, at the event also expressed her grievances and lack of development in her area.
“For three years, our roads have been abandoned at Bolaji Omupo/Apata area, we have businesses there and we employ people from the community. We pay tax, why should we not have the presence of the government, why should they leave us to suffer infrastructural decay?” Oluwole, Chairman, Boshua CDA queried.
Responding to several complaints, Agbakeke advised such complaints should be put into writing and addressed to the right quarters. “I want people to write petition to the police on the observed security lapses. We are also looking into the issues of people with disabilities, we know this group is vulnerable but we shall look into their case. Plans are under way to organise vocational trainings for the women, youths and physically challenged as well.”
Meanwhile, on the contrary, Arogundade advised the Local Government to handle the security issues instead of making residence interface with the police because of possible victimisation.
On the sport centre, Agbakeke said, “We are looking into this, we assure that it will soon be functioning.”
In his own remark, Hon. Femi Taiwo from Orile Shomolu, appreciated the IPC for bringing development efforts to the local communities. “I thank God and the people who brought this program. I can almost say Shomolu is the best in Lagos State, but no one can finish the work. We are the police of our environment,” he said.
Taiwo added that, “Roads in Shomolu are of good quality, I want us to be patient about the sports hall. We have a lot of youths who are into sports, not every one of us will go to school. Shomolu is the cradle of sports in Lagos State, nobody beats us in sports. If our children are good in table tennis, and they go to Yaba to contest for Yaba since our sports facilities are not in place, is that to Shomolu’s glory of Yaba’s?” He asked, calling on the people to be patient as the government is bent on making the sporting facilities functional once again.
