There had been a misconception that successive administrations in Lagos State purposely shut out certain areas from government infrastructures. This grew out of the perception that residents of these areas, hugely populated by folks Nigerians the South East region, were being persecuted by the ruling party in Lagos for holding contrary political views.
Granted that election results from these areas had consistently favoured the opposition political parties, recent happenings in Ojo, Amuwo Odofin, Oriade LGAs; hosts to a large concentration of Lagosians from the South East, have altered the wrong narrative. It would be unfair to say the All Progressives Congress-led government in Lagos is acting a script of vendetta. Rightly, people can be anxious of government’s attention. But, should it be delayed, won’t it be wiser to keep faith than bandy negative sentiments, capable of straining the relationship between the government and the governed.
It is against this background that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been intentional in promoting the culture of politics without bitterness in Lagos. Thanks to the first proponent of that political principle; the legendary second republic politician, late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim of the now defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP).
After all, Sanwo-Olu and his team have repeatedly mouthed the slogan ‘no area will be left behind’ since he began the roads commissioning spree late last year. From Agege to Alimosho, Ikorodu to Lekki and back to Ikeja GRA, the governor’s messages had been loaded with renewed hope of better days ahead.
Therefore, on Tuesday 28 January, Sanwo-Olu and his entourage stormed the three largely populated communities in Lagos West to commission four major roads in sync with the transportation pillar of government’s THEME+ developmental agenda. By Noon, four upgraded and new roads including Irede, Navy Town, Mumuni and Old Ojo (Phase I) roads had been delivered to the people. And residents of the affected communities including their monarchs and leaders sang new songs. They knew the commissioned projects would transform the socio-economic landscape of the areas as the roads are major arteries to jetties, tank farms and rails stations on the Lagos-Badagry corridor. For instance, the old Ojo road which stretches as far as Trade Fair Complex will ease the pressure on the dual carriage Lagos-Badagry expressway and connects with the blue line. The same goes for Amuwo, Irede and Navy Town which serve a links to commercial hubs and jetties in the areas.
For instance, residents of Mazamaza and Kirikiri axis in Oriade Local Council Development Area will heave a sigh of relief from the gridlocks caused by articulated vehicles and fuel tankers load products from warehouses and tank farms in that axis. Even the navy arm of Nigeria’s military is not left out of the new dawn in Old Ojo as the only road leading to the barrack had been in deplorable state for several years.
Good for road infrastructure, earlier, the governor and his team inspected the multi-purpose Ojo General hospital project under construction. The 280-bed hospital according to the governor will be the biggest general hospital in Lagos West upon completion. The complex according to Sanwo-Olu comes with accomodations for doctors and nurses. ‘We’re promising you that within the next twelve months, the hospital will near completion. It will care for the health challenges faced by the people of Ojo, Amuwo, Oriade, and all the riverine communities. That is what you deserve, the very best’,” the governor said.
It was also good news for traders in Iba axis, Ojo LGA as Sanwo-Olu announced the groundbreaking of 1,500 shops, including 300 lock-ups for roadside traders at the sprawling Iyana-Iba Junction. The governor hinted the project was a public-private venture between government and Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC). ‘You’re aware we have done a lot of clean up there and we need to relocate the people to proper markets’, he explained. In a reassuring posturing, the governor promised to follow up on the project and ensure the shops were not allocated to the highest bidder at the end. ‘We have told the LSPDC that the market is for locals; the citizens and communities in that area. I will personally supervise and ensure that no stranger or foreigner will come and take over your market’, the governor added.
Imagine the long stretch of road from Mile 2, through Iba junction to Okokomaiko, hitherto infamous for its decrepit state now taking form. Thanks to the huge constructions going on there courtesy of the Phase II of the Lagos Blue line that terminates at Okoko. About the project owned by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, the governor couldn’t hide his admiration for the work going on. “Driving through, I was just seeing bridges, upon bridges. We were almost lost on the road”, he told his hosts. He prayed that God would keep the residents to witness the project upon completion because they also stood to benefit from the nexus of road, rail and waterways in their communities like others. ‘Who says Oriade, Ojo can’t become a small Victoria Island, another Victoria or Lekki’? Sanwo-Olu asked the royal fathers seated at commissioning pavilion and the monarchs waived their horsetails in agreement.
These are developments political pundits hope will alter the political culture of residents of the aforementioned communities in Lagos West.
