30th August, 2010
Inhabitants of Ijeododo and Ijagemo communities in Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria, have drawn the attention of the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, to what they called utter neglect of the area.
The aggrieved residents, in a protest letter sent to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and made available to Lagos Bulletin, observed with dismay, that the only major road in the area has been ravaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company pipeline layout.
The residents of the over 70-year old communities also claimed that over 67 per cent of votes cast in the last general elections came from the area and wondered why they have been so neglected.
They also alleged that all the political appointments due to them have been zoned to Iba township, claiming that it has actually made the case worse, while supporting their allegation with the recent appointment of an Iba indigene as the chairman of the LCDA’s CDC, who, they alleged, diverted all that are acquirable to the two communities to Iba township.
They therefore called on Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to address this case of injustice and alienation as soon as possible, saying they may be force to shift their allegiance to another party, who they said, they believe would provide them with basic social amenities and dividends of democracy such as hospital, good roads, portable water and many more, which, they said the present regime at the local government level has denied them.
“We call on Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, to address this injustice as soon as possible because we are suffering in the mist of plenty. Unless this alienation is addressed fast, we may be forced to shift our allegiance to a rival party, which will provide us with social necessities like hospitals, banks, expressway and many other things, which are the gains of democracy,†the residents stated.