Residents of Adeniji Street behind African Bethel Church, Ikorodu have expressed their gratitude to Governor Ambode for deeming it fit to award their street among the ongoing reconstruction of roads in Lagos State and Ikorodu.
According to a resident, Alhaja Jemi Okubanjo, “Nobody would have thought that the government would notice the street, which has been left unattended to for more than fifty years but this actually got Governor Ambode’s attention.
According to her, the sad thing is that traders in that axis suffer daily with dust covering their products. As a result of the dusty environment, buyers don’t buy their products. However, they want the state government to provide street lights and borehole when the road that would link to Igbogbo police barrack is completed.
However, she appealed to the contractor, DE CUBANO Nigeria Limited to complete the project before the rainy season. Another resident, and civil servant, Abiodun Adelakun told Oriwu Sun that he was happy about the project but, however, appealed that there should be solid drainages and walkway.
He praised the contractor for doing a good job and asked him to realise that the road leads to so many areas in Ikorodu. According to him, he knows that the contractor would face challenges as the resident would start asking for the impossible as those who suffer damage to their buildings would continue to cry out.
Another resident, Mrs. Lemboye Ladeniji also complements Mr. Adelakun by saying that when such a project like this is going on, and which is beneficial to all the people in the area, people should cooperate, especially when it will be completed in six months.
Meanwhile, residents in the area told Oriwu Sun that the contractor, DE CUBANO has been with them to sensitize them about the road construction, Mr. Sulaiman Tekobo listed the challenges, they have been facing with the uncovered irons used for the gutter. According to them, it has been causing injuries to residents, especially children and very elderly ones.
In is words, although, we commend the efforts of the government by initiating this bold step. It is for our own benefit and we have been clamouring for this road during the time of “Awolesi” but all to no avail.
We are grateful, our request is now granted with the commencement of this project this time, but we equally want it to be done on time. He further said that it is the duty of the construction company in charge of the project to provide a convenient alternative to help us move easily and freely.
In his own words, “The workers have been so careless about our safety. We are the ones looking for means to walk through the risky path.” He urged the workers to hasten with the projects before rainy season approaches.
The treasurer of the community development association in the area, Alhaja Sherifat Tijani also implored the government to ensure the quick completion of the road because of the injuries the children sustain. According to her, “Our children are precious to us, the slow work is affecting us and they should be fast about it.
“This street leads to Oluwakemi Street and it is also meant to be done. There is limited time and they also promised to fix street lights and boreholes. We are all expecting it,” she said.
Another resident, representing the youth in the area, Salau Moruf said that the youths were happy with the development but the construction is taking too long. He explained that when the project started initially, the workers were very active and fast but they have relented since about a week ago.
In his words, “I noticed that they did not employ enough labourers. You will not believe that they have just four welders, which is not meant to be so.” He urged the contractor DECUBANO to hasten the work and relieve the residents from stress.
Having heard from the residents, Oriwu Sun interviewed the road project contractor, Alhaji Musliu Lawal Animashaun, who narrated his experience with the residents. He explained that it is pertinent for them to appreciate the development brought to them regardless of the challenges they may be facing at the moment.
DE CUBANO emphasized the need for the residents to exercise patience. This was what he said: “I am not a kid in this field and I have spent seventy two (72) years in this town and I want to be known for good. I want to be praised by both the government, community and individuals.
“When I handled ‘Alabi-Abagun, ‘Akasolori’ and Usamotu Street, the people appreciated it and even wrote a letter to the local government, which was copied to me through a Lawyer. It has served as a reference point for me till today.”
On the issue of inconvenience of the residents, the contractors explained that they were the ones being inconvenienced because they damaged their caterpillar and they had to seek the intervention of Onyabo Vigilante Group.
He further said, “If it is based on the need for the contractors to help them provide a culvert to aid their entrance into their houses, it is not our duty. We are meant to execute a road project and we ae active about it. You could see that the development is so rapid and we have never relented. We are already covering the drainages and they need to be patient.”
According to Alhaji Animashaun, “aside from handling this project presently, I have once rendered assistance to the residents of this street out of sheer humanitarian services. I gave a substantial amount of money to some people to help them.
“I did not even know that I would be awarded the street contract,” he said when asked to comment whether some local contractors are miserly or not as they do not handle their projects well, he said that is left for the individual contractor to decide. In his views: “As for me, I can’t criticize an indigenous contractor but if you do not perform, you would not be patronized next time. My reputation is my priority.” Speaking further, he said: “The other task ahead of us after Adeniji Street is ‘Oluwakemi Street’.
“We are going to be through with this street by next week Thursday in order to move on to the next street. They have equally been informed to demolish the marked buildings but I am not sure they have done that.
“Immediately we are through with Adeniji, we will move there and the caterpillar will destroy the buildings if they are yet to do so,” he said. On the issue of borehole provision, as part of the facilities that would be provided, at the end of the road, the contractor said that he is not aware of that as the local government was in the best position to answer the residents.
The chairman of CDA in the area, Otunba Ade Benson, however debunked the critics of the residents concerning the complaints of sustaining injuries at their houses entrances. He said that most of the houses on this street have been mistakenly built from inception. They bought land and built beyond where they were supposed to build.
“They are supposed to leave out some considerable metres at the house frontage but they did not. That is the effect of what they had done because they don’t expect the contractor to do what they are not meant to do. I will implore our people to be patient as it is for their own good, he stated.
He expressed optimism that the project, which is being handled by the state and local government would be completed before the rainy season. The youth leader of Adeniji Street, Abiodun Eruolorun also commended the efforts of the contractors.
He urged them to complete it before the rainy season. In his words, “If you can observe, this year rain would begin very soon and ‘Oluwakemi’ Street would still be there. I will implore the contractor to put more hands on deck to finish on time,” he stated.
It would recalled that this project is not the first one to be handled by De Cubano Nigeria Limited. The company which is well versed in construction work had in the past handled several road projects for both state and local governments in Lagos State and delivered on them at a record time. Notable among these projects are Alabi-Abagun and Usamotu Streets in Akasolori which were contracted by the state government in 2014.
The job specifications for the roads which included grading, tarring and construction of culverts were fully followed to the letter and the work was done to stand the test of time. The excellent job done on these roads to make them passable and accessible particularly during raining season prompted residents of the two streets to write an appreciation letter dated July 12, 2014, to Governor Raji Fashola (SAN), who was in power at that period, to thank him for deeming it fit to repair the two roads and most particularly to commend De Cubano Nigeria Limited for a job well done.
As a result of this, there is no doubt that this current project being handled by the company will not only be properly done to last longer, it will be delivered at the stipulated time to the satisfactory of the government and residents of Adeniji street.