Barring any unforeseen circumstance the strategic Ikorodu Local Government secretariat along Beach Road may give way to the popular mega shopping complex, Shoprite to be built by wealthy investors now negotiating with the Lagos State government and other relevant stakeholders.
By this development, the two stories written by Oriwu Sun, first in February 2004 and another in 2016 that the Ikorodu council is going and may soon be gone from its present site.
In our 2004 story written about thirteen years ago, we had reported that the Lagos State government under AsiwajuTinubu at that time was planning to lease all the twenty (20) local government secretariats in the state including the one in Ikorodu to investors.
Vehement protests greeted that plan such that traditional rulers, IKODASS members, prominent Ikorodu sons and daughters condemned the move prompting Tinubu to deny the story that the secretariat would be sold.
Last year, Oriwu Sun carried the exclusive story that Shoprite will come to Ikorodu as frantic efforts were being made to locate a suitable site. We even wrote that a site near the present Ikorodu secretariat was being mooted. It now seems that we have been vindicated as Governor Ambode has promised to turn Ikorodu to an investor destination and to build commercial ventures that will feed the huge population on in this part of the state and create more jobs for the people therein.
To this end, Oriwu Sun learnt that the new investors will soon begin work in Ikorodu on the massive complex. But what is not yet clear is whether the developers will first built the new (alternative secretariat) said to be located at the controversial ground opposite Ikorodu Post Office near Ita-Elewa before pulling down the council secretariat at Beach Road for the Shoprite construction work or whether the workers in the council will be relocated to other places (scattering them) while work goes on simultaneously at both Ita-Elewa and Beach road.
The new council secretariat is a three-storey building with underground parking and various offices. We also gathered that the investors are the owners of the complex and that Shoprite is a major tenant in the building while there are other shops.
What is clear according to reliable sources is that serious negotiations had been going on at Alausa between the state government and stakeholders from Ikorodu.
Meanwhile the controversy over the Ita-Elewa land presently used by Redeemed Christian Church as a car park and used by some other bodies is the same land where the council had approved a developer, P.J to build up a multi-purpose establishment few years ago only for the structures he erected to be pulled down. The matter sparked off a bid row.
It was followed by another round of issues between incumbent Oba KabirShotobi and the sole administrator of Ikorodu council, Mr. GbolahanOgunleye when the Kabiyesi wanted to invest on the land but was opposed by the council sole administrator.
The matter was dragged to Alausa to the Ministry of Justice before it was later decided in favour of the council which the state government affirmed is the legitimate owner of that land.
Inside sources in Alausa told Oriwu Sun that the decision to lease the land to Shoprite was bounce out of the realization that the big secretariat built for the present six councils is now grossly underutilized as only about 100 (one hundred staffers) working in Ikorodu Local Government occupy the place.
The state government therefore decided to turn the place into a profitable location and indications are that very soon Governor Ambode will announce the details including the date when the ground breaking will be performed.
Oriwu Sun gathered that already the brilliant Ambode who like his mentor Tinubu is a great strategist has already won the cooperation of political chieftains and key players who have all given their nod on the Shoprite project to avoid the kind of uproar that erupted in 2004.
Governor Ambode who has promised to beautify Ikorodu the more and develop its infrastructure even when he is not from Ikorodu indicates his love for this community. This project will surely count as one of his achievements in office as all Ikorodu people have given him their backing to bring more profitable ventures to this division.
We also gathered that Governor Ambode has concluded plans to build a state guest house at Ibeshe (behind Nichemtex) industries facing the Beach as Ikorodu division remains the only one out of the five divisions of the state without a state guest house where important dignitaries on official visits to the area can lodge. The Ibeshe ocean view guest house is expected to flag off soonest.
Meanwhile Oriwu Sun will keep track of these projects and will give our readers regular updates.