- Residents of Lafenwa community in Ogun state have cried out over lack of infrastructure development in the area
- It was gathered that the community has almost 600,000 inhabitants mainly the Awori people who are the earliest inhabitants of the area
- Chief Safari Edun, the head of the community, said they live a life of torture and suffering with the absence of good roads, schools and other social amenities
Residents of Lafenwa community in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun state, have cried out over the alleged neglect of the area by Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration.
The investigation by Legit.ng regional reporter, Subair Mohammed, revealed that the community has almost 600,000 inhabitants mainly the Awori people who are the earliest inhabitants of the area.
It was gathered that since the establishment of Ado-Odo/Ota local government in 1989, it has been overwhelmed with series of infrastructure deficit and neglect by successive government in the state.
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Legit.ng gathered that as the extent of rot in the second largest local government in Ogun state becomes heightened, head of Lafenwa community, Chief Safari Tijani Edun and some residents in Itele, Ayetoro, said they live a life of torture and suffering with the absence of good roads, schools and other social amenities.
A bad portion of road in Lafenwa community in Ogun state. Photo credit: Subair Mohammed
Source: Original
Chief Safari said that living and doing business in a dusty atmosphere such as Lafenwa that is full of potholes and blocked drainage system affect their health and prices of goods and services which reflects in hike in transport fares and medical bills as a result of frequent allergy and catarrh occasioned by dust.
He said residents in the community oftentimes put resources together to provide what is lacking in the community.
He, however, lamented thus, “Lafenwa community is the most backward and under-developed. We lack all the basic amenities of life. Our roads are awful as none of them are tarred. Our homes and the entire community are flooded whenever it rains.
''The drainage system has been blocked. In fact the existing drainage channel that runs from Ayobo-Lafenwa road down to Itele was dug by our effort about five years ago. And if you look at it now, you will discover that it has blocked because we didn’t have the required the financial capability to complete it. We are really suffering in this community.”
A bad portion of road in Lafenwa community in Ogun state. Photo credit: Subair Mohammed
Source: Original
A trip round the community by Legit.ng regional reporter from Ayetoro junction to Ayobo-Lafenwa road down to Itele, further exposed the extent of infrastructural decay in the Awori-land as in the whole of the community, only one secondary school exist as there are no recreation centres neither were there banks that could enhance trading activities within the community.
Commenting on economic and social activities in Lafenwa community, Chief Safari said, “Economic activities are another kettle of fish because the poor state of our roads is adversely affecting patronage and prices of goods and services. If a commodity is sold for N5 in Ota, by the time it gets to us here, the price would have gone up to N10.
''This is because of the stress and long hours they had to spend in transporting the commodities down to Lafenwa. There are no visible government presence in our community; no good road network, no banks and no schools for our children.
''It is hard to believe that in a community of over 600,000 people, Ansar-ud-deen secondary school that is located along Itele road is the only secondary school in Lafenwa and it is being funded by the community. So I want to ask, what have we gained from this present administration?
''And to think that we have written several letters to the Ogun State government for intervention but we have had no response from them. Lafenwa community is in dire need of government intervention because we are greatly suffering.”
Some of the residents who spoke to Legit.ng bore their mind on what they are faced with daily in the ancient community.
Kehinde Adams is a commercial motorcyclist. He recounts his ordeal riding from Lafenwa junction to Obasanjo/Oju Oore especially when it rains.
He said: “A journey that will ordinarily take 20 minutes on that axis will take you nothing less than 40 minutes or more. And whenever it rains, you spend more time manoeuvring the bad roads to get to your destination.
''It was a loss situation for both the passenger and the rider because the passenger would have to pay more in terms of fare while on my part, I pay more on goods and services whenever I visit the market. I have been working on this route for some years now but rather than for it to get better, it is getting worse.
''There is no portion of the road that is good and to think that we are paying our dues to the local and state governments. Apart from the poor state of the roads, the community has only primary schools with just one secondary school. We have to journey as far as Ota or Ayobo to use either ATM or deposit our money in banks.”
Another resident, Ishola Kayode, said the challenges of bad roads and lack of basic infrastructure in Ado-Odo/Ota community is an age-long problem that can only be solved if God talk to the hearts of our political leaders.
He said: “We can only pray to God to touch the hearts of our leaders and until then nothing will happen. How do you explain that this road (pointing towards Obasanjo/Oju-Oore road) leads to the farm of a former president of the country? But when he was in office, what did he do? Nothing. So, we can only hope and pray to God for His intervention.
A bad portion of road in Lafenwa community in Ogun state. Photo credit: Subair Mohammed
Source: Original
''However, I must say that in spite of the decay in infrastructure, this community is peaceful and secured. I want to thank the new DPO of Itele Police station for his swift response to distress calls.
"His posting to our community has been helpful and impactful but aside that there is nothing worth discussing as far as infrastructure is concerned in Lafenwa and other communities within the area. They are all in a sorry state.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that some traders in Muslim, Oluyole local government area in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, cried out to the state government to help curtail the incessant armed robbery attacks on their stores.
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