For more than four hours, the entire community in Ikorodu division including Imota, Igbogbo, Ibeshe and Ijede assembled at the Ikorodu town hall for a stakeholder meeting on different infrastructures to be delivered this year by Governor Ambode’s government.
Earlier on, the Governor of Lagos State had invited the stakeholders to the state house to discuss various works he would embark on in Ikorodu division and the needs to carry them along before the contractor can move to site. The meeting was led by the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi and other Obas in the division were equally had the presence of other eminent persons in the division like Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Bashorun, Chief Abiodun Ogunleye and Princess Adenrele Ogunsanya.
At the meeting, the Governor briefed them about ten various infrastructural projects he was about to embark on in Ikorodu, namely:
- Construction of Owutu-Ishawo-Arepo road to link Lagos –Ibadan Expressway
- Construction of Igbe Road – Ginti up to Ijede Road junction.
- Construction of Government Chalet to be built at a lagoon front site in Ikorodu division.
- Construction of a massive mall to be built in Ikorodu division (site already approved by the Governor)
- Ikorodu local government is positioned to get a new befitting secretariat.
- Construction of Ikorodu divisional stadium to commence soon.
- Industrial park has been approved for Imota LCDA.
- Regional Commodity Market already approved and construction in progress in Imota LCDA.
- Government is committed to eight lanes road from Sabo – Ikorodu to Itoikin to align with the on-going road construction at Epe-Itoikin axix.
- Governor has given approval for the construction eighteen (18) numbers of roads in Ikorodu local government and the five LCDA in line with his policy on local roads total rehabilitation.
The Governor asked them to go back and meet their people to prevent demonstrations and to inform them of the many good projects he would embark on this year. Trust our kabiyesi, Oba Shotobi, immediately he left the Governor’s Office, he formed a committee led by Chief Monsuru Oloye Solebo, the chairman of Ikorodu Division Resource Development Group.
Other members of the committee who met continuously for one week at the town hall, no, doubt came out with outstanding result for the stakeholders meeting on April 21, 2017.
As early as 9:00am, people from different parts of the division have started arriving at the town hall. The representatives from different groups namely, NURTW, market women and men associations, CDC, CDAs, Muslim organisations led by Chief Imams in the division; various clubs and associations, eminent personalities and Resource Group all came out in large numbers.
The event, which was anchored by indefatigable Sir Ayodele Elesho, was a huge success. The meeting started with an opening prayer from the Chief Imam of Ikorodu Central Central Mosque, Sheikh Seifudeen Oloworibi while another Pastor from Christian Association of Nigeria, Ikorodu Branch rendered the Christian prayer.
The occasion, which was kick started by our own able son, Lekan Ogunbanwo, a retired permanent secretary from LTV, now a PR and Advert consultants delivered speeches for community leaders and politicians. Mr. Ogunbanwo in his opening speech took his time to carry the audience along by introducing various tactics in his speech to arrest their attention.
He recounted various achievements of Governor Ambode and asked them if they liked the developments taking place at Ikorodu, and especially the shoprite project, which some enlightened youths do not know the economic benefits of. By the time he handed over the microphone to the audience, the entire community numbering more than one thousand people gave Governor Ambode the green light to carry out the ten projects in the division.
It was now time for the speakers of the day, led by Olorunfunmi Bashorun, who took time to recognize everybody present, but for reasons best known to him, he failed to recognize the former SSG to the state government, Adenrele Ogunsanya, though, he recognized the Chief Imam sitting beside her.
Chief Bashorun recounted the achievements of Governor Ambode and particularly gave reasons why Ikorodu people should be grateful to him. He said that our own son, the former minister of works, prevented the Federal Government from approving roads in many routes in the division.
According to him, the former minister made efforts to stop the road development in the town. Although, he made no mention of the minister, people knew it was Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe. He said that for the first time in Ikorodu division, Akinwunmi Ambode is the only Governor that would bring so much development to the town. He said that Ikorodu people should support him for us to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Olorunfunmi Bashorun said that he was confident that when the projects are completed, it would enhance the development of the entire division. He appealed to the people not to disturb the contractors on all the projects in order to make sure that they are successful.
Bashorun told them that those whose houses are going to be demolished along Igbe to Ginti and Isawo – Owutu to Ibadan Express – Arepo, government would look into their papers whether they have papers or not, they would be compensated.
In his own speech, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye corroborated Bashorun’s speech by assuring the people that all the six local governments that own the Ikorodu Local Council would be compensated by the investors. He said that another building along Oriwu Road, opposite post offices would be constructed for the new local government.
Mr. Ogunleye asked those sending bad signals on the internet to stop it as Ikorodu division would benefit more from the Shoprite. In his own address, Oba Ranodu of Imota, a Chartered Accountant, intelligent, enlightened and rich with knowledge of yoruba culture, was visibly happy especially about various infrastructural development brought by Ambode’s government, citing the example of commodity market going on in Imota.
Oba Ranodu, therefore described Ambode as a miracle worker, who has exceptionally surpassed people’s expectations with his remarkable achievements across the state. He particularly commended Ambode for advertising the major infrastructural projects particularly on roads to enhance the economic viability of every part of Lagos State and urged the people of the division to support Ambode’s administration in bringing various projects to open the entire community.
Concerning whether the compensation would be paid, he asked those affected in the demolition to be more concerned about the benefits the projects would bring to the division and its people and not whether they would be compensated or not.
He asked them to emulate the people in other divisions, where developments are going on, especially in Epe, where people’s houses were demolished to give way for the road projects.
Oba Ajibade Agoro, threw bomb shell when he cursed anybody in Imota who would disallow projects in the town, especially the eight lane road from Itoikin to Sabo. Apart from cursing them, he also called them saboteurs.
Hon. Jimi Benson, representing Ikorodu constituency I in the House of Represent in company of Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade, and Hon. Nurudeen Solaja representing Ikorodu Constituencies I and II respectively; also added their voices to the meeting. All other speakers in the same vein gave reasons why people must support the projects.
In his own speech, Oba Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, after recognizing those present, did not forget to thank the organisers of the project for not disappointing him. He particularly thanked the chairman of the committee, Oloye Solebo, the Publisher of Oriwu Sun, Chief Monzor Olowosago, Ayodele Elesho and Asipa Kaoli Olusanya for a job well done.
From there, he moved to the political leaders, religious leaders, representatives of Ikorodu division both in National and State Assemblies, market men and women Associations, and CDAs including all others in Ikorodu division urging everyone to cooperate with Ambode whose government is bringing unprecedented projects to Ikorodu, the first in the history of the division.
The Oba of Ikorodu, a fantastic dresser, who was in his blue Agbada dress, no, doubt is a ladies man. He is wealthy, handsome, intelligent and an epitome of humility.
Since he ascended the throne, he has been doing his best in bringing all the Obas in the division together. In any state outings, you see him and the other Obas together. During the last stakeholders’ meeting, he personally visited Oba Agoro in his palace to hint him about the meeting because he just came back from abroad.
The Obas were given a rousing welcome and a befitting reception at Gbadamosi’s conference hall inside the town hall. The Obas present were Oba Shotobi, Ranodu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro, Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Oba Semiudeen Kasali, Olubeshe of Ibeshe, Oba Richard Ogunsanya while the Oba of Egbin, Oba Adeoriyomi Oyebo was conspicuously absent as he was not in the country.
What is worrisome is that our sole administrators including the one from Ikorodu were not present. Only two were present .Those two were Hon. Emmanuel Aguda, a native of Kogi State and Hon. Segun Anifowose from Ijede and Ikorodu-West respectively.
There were conflicting reports that they should not attend the meeting because it was not properly constituted and that they should not pay because their political leaders said that they didn’t have money in the councils.
But the truth is that some people find it difficult to believe them that they didn’t have forty thousand naira (N40,000) to contribute, yet they want to die in the council.
Even, if they didn’t have money, can’t their political leaders who are billionaires pay on their behalf. It is because of this that some principled members of the committee refused to pay a dime into the purse of the committee. Overall, it was resolved that Ambode should carry on with the ten projects highlighted and nobody should disturb any of the contractors.