By Abayomi Elias
The maxim he who fails to plan, plan to fail played out in Ikorodu Local Government today as the Community Development Committee in Ikorodu in their consciousness invited stakeholders to an interactive session in charting a work plan for development and peace in Ikorodu.
Newsconnect reports that the interactive session focused on issues hovering around environment, security, continuous voter registration and real estate management.
The Governor of Lagos State His Excellency Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu was ably represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Rural and Community Development Honourable Nurudeen Yekini Agbaje.
Agbaje in an interview with Newsconnect correspondent at the event clarified that it is not the function of the state government to be buying transformers, he said it is the function of Ikeja electric.
”Mr Governor in his benevolence deem it fit to support Ikeja Electric to buy transformers for our people just for them to be relieved of darkness in the society. What is the essence of Lagos State Government buying transformers and they are given excuses to fix it.
”Most of the policies of the government is disseminated through the CDC down to the grassroot. As you can see, we have a lot of developmental scheme of the state with regards to how to address security matters and their needs in the state.
”Ikorodu CDC is proactive about what they are doing here today, I have told them Mr Governor would surely address all the issues they have itemised for me.
”They are happy with Mr Governor with Agura and Gberigbe road construction that is on going, as they say, Oliver twist would always ask for more, Lagos state government is working and we are ready to address the problem”. He said.
The Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government Prince Abdul Lateef Ladega who was ably represented by his Deputy Honourable Alogba at the interactive session said whatever the complains are, CDC should put them into writing.
“Chairman is not joking with CDC because you are the closest to the grassroot. We are aware that you are the fourth arm of government, so what are we talking about? he asked rhetorically.
”My Chairman has told me that we would not do promise and fail. We will always try our best. It is an opportunity for the S.A to the governor on rural development to be here with us today”. He said.
The Secretary of Ikorodu’s CDC Alhaji Lukman Shonibare in his response to intimate the Vice Chairman that the CDC is proactive with their community request said ;
“We told the Chairman to give us next Tuesday for the presentation, we have request from zone 5, zone 4, zone 3, zone 2 just submitted now. We need to compile all these request in form of a compedium on Tuesday God’s willing”.
Pastor Kayode a key stakeholder at the event on security posited in his remark that they had developed a form tagged Operation Know your Neighbor and presented it to the Police and all stakeholders in the community to observe the information the form seeks to get.
He said;
“After a satisfactory look by the then Area commander, he asked that we should go and think about what to do to recalcitrant members of the community who refused to fill the form.
“I couldn’t respond after he asked about three times . We did this because Ikorodu is growing, people are coming, and so it is important to know our neighbors. Ikorodu is a fertile ground for the good, the bad and the ugly.
“The Form that tenant and domestic staff would fill are inside the form, how many of us implemented it. I urge us to go back to it”. He said.
He also appealed to all CDA in the five zones in Ikorodu to organize seminars at least on a monthly basis to sensitize the people towards restoring the sense of pride and morality.
Kayode said you can’t give what you don’t have.
”Let’s include it in our agenda every month. Moral decency had been relegated to the background”. He said.
Representatives from Lagos State Real Estate Regulation and Authority LASRERA at different intervals spoke about the mandate of the agency and the reason why they need the cooperation of community stakeholders and members in identifying quacks disparaging the standard of the sector.
Among other things, suggestions which include community based finance option was suggested by the former council leader Azeez Jimoh Abiodun Olosugbo in bridging the infrastructural gaps in communities.
”our conversation in the next three months should be options of community based finance”. He told journalists at the interactive session. He said.