Need To Develop Rural Lagos

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We have been inundated with calls from Lagosians at the grassroots for the state government to spread the acclaimed development taking place in the state to  all the council areas so that they too could enjoy the dividends of democracy. Lagosians who live in Ikeja, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, Surulere and few  other highbrow areas can easily point to development projects executed by the state government. Those who ply Ikorodu, Yaba, Iba or Lagos Island roads will  testify with ease that so much has changed over the past few years due to government intervention.

However, in some council areas, especially in the rural areas where the majority of Lagosians live, residents are still grappling with challenges of  gargantuan proportion. In the areas of transportation, electrification, water supply and security, residents in Epe, Ayobo, Agege, Alimosho, Badagry, Bariga,  Aguda, Ikotun-Egbe Idimu, Ejigbo, Eredo, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Itire and other councils are still going through the same hardship they have been  used to for many years.

In these areas, the roads are at various levels of disrepair, there is no public water supply, no street or traffic lights. Residents even resort to  providing their own security by forming local vigilante.

The level of chaos in these areas is disheartening and a breeding ground for criminals to thrive. This is unacceptable in a mega city.

Because of the bad state of roads, commuter buses refuse to ply some of these roads and residents have to trek several kilometres. The commercial motorcycles  operators exploit the situation and increase their fares and this makes it unaffordable to most people.

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Even in councils where there are roads, some of these roads are not well maintained. Most of them have caved in or are filled with bumps and potholes. Some  roads have been reconstructed several times over the past few years. In Ifako-Ijaiye, some streets like Mafe street have been dug up and are yet to be fixed  months after. The solar powered lights in Ogba, Ikeja and other parts of the state have packed up and need urgent repairs or outright replacement. The  current situation is not good for sustainable development.

The situation  in some rural areas was raised by some activists recently at a press conference in Lagos. The activists called on the government to tackle the  problems with the urgency they deserve.

We believe that for Lagos to become a true mega city, development should take place all over the state. Roads should be constructed and maintained not only  in highbrow areas but also in rural areas where most of the people live. Street and traffic lights must be provided all over the state. Water supply and  security must be provided by the state government.

We call on those saddled with the responsibility to steer the ship of the state to wake up and focus on real development in all parts of the state. We are  aware of Gov. Babatunde Fashola’s efforts and successes in some parts of the state.  He needs to do much  more so that the people at the grassroots will not  have cause to grumble but smile like the elites in high brow areas who are pleased with what he is doing for them.

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