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Kehinde Husseinah
Residents of Ogun waterside area of Ogun state have cried out over alleged negligence by government and lack of adequate infrastructure in the area.
Some of the residents who spoke with PLATFORM TIMES listed the infrastructural decay in the region to include poor road networks, lack of water and electricity.
Ogun Waterside is a Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria. It is the only area of the state with a coastline on the Bight of Benin and also borders Lagos Lagoon.
Its headquarters is in the town of Abigi with surrounding towns and villages to include: Ilushin, Lukogbe, Iwopin, Olojumeta, Imakun Omi, Ode Omi, Ibu, Itebu Manuwa, Ibiade, Efire, Lomiro, Oni, Ayede, Igele, Ayila and Irokun among others.
A Retired medical doctor residing in Abigi, Adesina Adekunmi, in an interview with our correspondent said actions of previous government indicates that no one wishes the region well.
According to Adekunmi Only the military Administrator Raji Rasaq and Incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun has done a project in the area.
While listing other areas without infrastructure, he appealed on the government not to focus only on the city but visit the rural areas.
Adekunmi who identified lack of funding for the local government as the bane of these challenges, disclosed that some towns have not had electricity supplied for over two years.
“No Egba governor wishes us well in Ijebu. During the reign of Governor Amosun, flyovers were constructed all over in Abeokuta but only one managed with one here in Ijebu, roads were tiled there but not in Ijebu and that was why he lost woefully in the election in Ijebu.
“Abigi is the headquarter of Ijebu waterside and my hometown. It has no single good road as the headquarter. The administration of Raji Rasaq was the last attempt made to tile the roads and it had been abandoned after that.
“There is a road at Iwopin, when the road gets to Ibiade, it leads to Abigi and other places, the road has collapsed totally. Gov Dapo patched it from Idi Afo to Iwopin, the federal government road, the rest is nothing to write about.
“For the past 2 and half years, there has been no light, even the wire has been removed from express, from Ogbere to Idi Afo, we are in dilemma, the local government is not properly funded by the governor. Should they only focus on city and abandon rural areas?”
Another resident identified as the Asiwaju of Ibiade, Chief Dele Odulaja, said Ogun waterside is facing the road challenge and rehabilitation is needed.
He listed lack of employment and portable water as other problems facing the region.
“The roads here are in bad state especially the main one from Iwopin to Agege to Ilushin to Agbure to Ita otu, they are our main roads.
“There is no tap water available and there is limited number of borehole, if the state governor could build a bigger borehole that would circulate, it would indeed benefit us.
“Unemployment is a challenge; our men depend on okada which could barely sustain the family.
“There is shortage of teachers, many schools with no adequate teachers, there are many unemployed graduate and NCE holders, the teachers that are transferred here, having stayed a few months want to transfer back to the town because of lack of electricity and good water.”
Ogun waterside alongside Ijebu North and Ijebu East has a representative in the National assembly who is also the Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Adesegun Adekoya with hopes to return for his third term.
The current deputy speaker of the Ogun State Assembly, Balogun Agbolade represents Ogun Waterside in the State Assembly.
The Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun in July 2021 swore in Mudashiru Adekunle as the chairman of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area. In less than a month, the chairman also inaugurated his administrative council members.
Residents however lament of not seeing government impacts in the area.
