By OUR REPORTER
“Since Ogun State government has shown us this insensitivity, we can only appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari and other good Samaritan Nigerians, to intervene on our behalf and help tell Governor Dapo Abiodun that we, people of Abule Iroko, near Ajegunle/Alagbado, Lagos and Ota, Ado Do/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, are human beings and so deserve our rights to good environment and living,” he cried.
Abule Iroko in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, a border community adjoining Ajegunle/Alagbado, Lagos State and Ota and Itoki/Ijoko towns in Ogun State, can best be described as an abandoned community by the state government, considering its sorry case during rain and sun times.
On Sunday 10 October, 2021 during a visit to the area by The DEFENDER, even the most wicked of man would sympathize with residents and road users in the area as, due to over one hour non-stop rain, the entire community was sacked by flood.
The roads, mainly from Ola-Ore junction and its adjoining streets, became impassable making both motorists and pedestrians stranded, over a rain situation that ordinarily should pass for celebration as blessing for the people from their Lord.
Although as at the time of this report, no community leader could be reached because of the impossibility occasioned by the flood situation, some of the stranded residents, returning home but got stuck midway, told our reporter that it had become a normal punishment that they suffer from insensitivity of the Ogun State government.
One of them said, “I cannot exactly say one reason the government is punishing us with this lack of attention but, for sure, I will say the governor’s people said we did not vote for them and reason our drainages that were done by Otunba Gbenga Daniel during his days in office have now been left unmaintained and deteriorated.
“The economic implications are that, we now pay 100 percent higher transport fare than we should ordinarily pay, during rain or non-rain time because of bad environment. Also, our market people no longer make good sales. What does that tell you? That, by this lack of infrastructure and government presence, the Abule Iroko people are plunged into poverty, whereas, at the Federal level, government is currently pained with concerns about the need to lift 100 million people out of poverty.
“Although, we are again nonchalantly insulted with their posters telling us to give them our votes as 2023 governorship election approaches, to us, we can only say that democracy has not worked for us at Abule Iroko, if democracy is truly government of the people by the people for the people.
“Since Ogun State government has shown us this insensitivity, we can only appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari and other good Samaritan Nigerians, to intervene on our behalf and help tell Governor Dapo Abiodun that we, people of Abule Iroko, near Ajegunle/Alagbado, Lagos and Ota, Ado Do/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, are human beings and so deserve our rights to good environment and living,” he cried.
In the presence of this reporter, two nursing mothers, one pregnant woman and one youthful looking boy fell inside flooded gutter trying to navigate their way amidst the confusion caused by the flood.
Governor Dapo Abiodun took over the administration of Ogun State on May 29, 2019.
Effort to get in touch with the governor through one of his media aides proved abortive, as bad communication network did permit.
