The residents of OlorunsogoEfunbade community have called on the Local and State Government to intervene quickly and save them from the bad condition of their roads and drainages.
This appeal was made recently in Ikorodu during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) organized by the Executives of the Community Development Association (CDA) in the area to give account of their stewardship, coupled with the presentation of financial report of the year 2015 to the residents of the community.
In his address at the event, the Chairman of the CDA, Alhaji Tomori Olowofela, expressed his profound gratitude to both the Exco members of the CDA and the residents for their unwavering cooperation and understanding, which have engendered massive development and peace in the community.
The CDA Chairman further explained that most residents came into the community when it was virtually a jungle, with no electricity and terrible topographic problems staring them in the faces. According to him, the fortune of the community had since changed for the better when the residents came together to form a formidable force through their Community Development Association (CDA) more than ten years ago.
Alhaji Olowofela said that, although, there was still a lot to be done, the CDA, through self-help initiatives, has been able to execute projects such as re-linking of roads and streets, construction of drainages, provision of local security and maintenance of electricity transformers as well as several other projects worth over ten million naira (N10 million) to make the community habitable and comfortable for residents.
He, therefore, lamented the visible absence of the three tiers of government in the community despite residents’ prompt payment of taxes and others levies, while also claiming that the only time government remembers them was during electioneering campaigns to seek resident’s supports. The CDA Chairman, however, appealed on behalf of the Olorunsogo Efunbade community to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the authorities of Ikorodu Local Government to urgently intervene, particularly in the area of provision of drainages as well as construction and tarring of roads.
He equally urged residents to continue to key into every laudable projects, suggestions, directives and initiatives of the Lagos State Government, including the War Against Rats (WARs) and Lassa fever. Others include ‘Tight-Up Lagos’ aimed at ensuring that Lagos State is safe from Lassa fever and the lighting of streets and dark corners to help checkmate the nefarious activities of hoodlums and kidnappers respectively.
Alhaji Olowofela also expressed disappointment over the continuous overlooking of the CDA by the state government in the annual award for the best CDAs in Lagos State despite their sterling performance over the years. According to him, the achievements of most of the CDAs, who have won the awards for the Best CDA, are no match to the tremendous achievements of the Olorunsogo Efunbade CDA, which were engendered by the vibrant self-help initiatives of the residents of the community.
The Chairman said that henceforth, the community would be blowing its own trumpet over its achievements in order to draw the attention of the state government and the CDC to the giant strides being made by the community toward its development. While thanking all residents, who have paid their security dues and monthly levies, the chairman urged those who were still defaulting to settle their debts as soon as possible to enable the CDA to embark on more developmental projects that would benefit the community.
On the proposed election of the new CDA Executives, he said that no time has been fixed yet but the opportunity of the AGM would be used to decide on when to hold the elections. He said that officers who have served more than two terms but performed meritoriously would be exceptionally allowed to stand for re-election.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Wasiu Atoselowo, in his brief address, corroborated Alhaji Olowofela’s statement by appealing to both the State and the Local Governments to complement the exemplary efforts of the Olorunsogo Efunbade CDA by executing projects that would further engender development in the area.
He particularly charged the CDC chairman in Ikorodu, Alhaji Lukman Shonibare, to use his good office and influence to bring government presence to the community, especially in the area of road and drainage construction.
Chief Atoselowo also urged residents, particularly the youths, to continue to cooperate with the CDA Excos and also eschew acts capable of hindering the peace and development of the community.
While also speaking, the Ikorodu CDC chairman, Alhaji Lukman Shonibare, commended the Executives of Olorunsogo/Efunbade CDA for deeming it fit to organize the AGM to render account of stewardship to the residents. He promised to discuss the laudable initiative at both Ikorodu and State CDC meetings for possible emulation by other CDA’s in Ikorodu and Lagos State in general. He equally praised the residents of the community for their huge financial commitments, which have been responsible for the various developmental projects that abound in the community.
Alhaji Shonibare, who was also impressed by the performance of the CDA Exco, explained that the development attained by the community through self-help projects should have qualified the community for recognition and award at the State level but that the failure of the CDA Executives to craft the required publicity was responsible for the community being over looked for such an honour.
To this end, he urged the CDA Exco to always publicise their achievements and also intimate the CDC on their programmes and projects in order to be considered for an award and also attract .State Government attention.
With regards to the appeal made by the community to the state government to intervene in the construction of roads and drainages, Alhaji Shonibare advised the CDA executives to write a letter to Governor Ambode, highlighting their achievements so far and equally stating the benefits, which the construction of such roads and drainages would bring to the residents of the community.
According to Shonibare, the letter should be copied to both the Executive Secretary of Ikorodu Local Government and Ikorodu CDC. He also promised to personally ensure that the letter gets to the Governor’s desk.
The event equally featured presentations of the Audit Committee Report and the financial summary for the year 2015 as well as donations and presentation of the compendium of projects in the CDA.
The highpoint of the event was the commissioning of the canal project by Alhaji Lukman Shonibare, after which he and other guests were conducted round the communities by the CDA Chairman and other executives to see areas that needed State Government attention.
Those who attended the occasion include the Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ikorodu, Alhaji Lukman Shonibare; publisher of Ikorodu News, Prince Ganny Awobajo and numerous members of residents.
The list of Olorunsogo Efunbade CDA executives includes. Alhaji Tomori Olowofela (chairman); Mrs. Oluremi Balogun (vice chairman); Mr. Biodun Oremosu (treasurer/welfare); Mr. Kehinde Olaiba (financial secretary); Barrister Biodun Olayiwole (legal adviser); Mr. Biodun Sodunke (auditor); Mr. Kunle Odejimi (general secretary); Mr. Badru M. Babatunde (assistant general secretary), Mr. J.O. Amadi (chairman, audit committee) and Alhaja Ashafa Alejo (PRO).