…As Governor urges commercial drivers to maintain proper parking of vehicles
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Tuesday undertook an inspection of Okomola and Mosafejo areas of Oshodi, in company of the Deputy Governor and members of his cabinet, where he promised to regenerate the communities and make the residents live a better life.
The Governor, who interacted with residents of the Mosafejo community, announced the donation of two blocks of flats to the community provided they can come up with the land and urged them to meet and create space for the amenities which his government was ready to provide for the densely populated community.
“We are concerned about the condition of Mosafejo and how we can improve the quality of life and how we can make you happy. We are standing on a tarred road here. All of these things are possible here if we reorganize it, you have to choose it. If you want us to reorganize this place, there would be some discomfort”, he added.
The Governor said he would leave the residents and their leaders to meet and create the land with which the State Government can start a housing development for them, adding that they must decide to now hand over the donated land to the Chairman of the Task Force who would bring it over to the State officials.
“We would look at it, of course we cannot build all of your houses but what we can help you do if you give us that land is to help you develop a new layout that protects everybody that has properties here”.
“It preserves your land then if you want to build blocks of flats, you come for approval, we give you, you build by yourself, then if you want to build shops, then we will set aside the place that is shop and the place that is office. The place that is school, mosque and this place can be self supporting community on its own”.
“Now if we want to provide water here, where do we take the pipe to? If we want to evacuate your human waste here, you use toilets here, where does it go, so you must give us that land to lay the sewage, to lay the water pipe, so that water pipe and waste pipe does not mix together”, he emphasized.
He cautioned that though the residents may think they are living a good life, as long as they are living with their waste, they are also helping disease to spread adding that if the people resolved that no stranger will enter the community again, it will work because it is their decision.
“Every household has a leader and if your brother comes from the village, you must take him to the leader and say my brother has come. This is his name and so everybody knows him. This is a very small community and it can be protected and developed because all of us have talked about rights and rights but not about responsibility. You should take the first step, so if you are ready, I am also ready”, he added.
Governor Fashola also read the riot act to the transport unions to find appropriate parking spaces for their buses, stating that the roads is for pedestrians, motorists and tricycles (Keke Marwa) to be able to move not a parking space.
“As long as you park on the road you are defeating the purpose for which the road is built. After you have driven past your bus, drop your passengers and go and look for parking space. In the early hours of 5a.m, 6a.m morning rush, everybody is moving up and down Lagos. Now it is 11 a.m, there is no rush again, go and park off the road and when the rush hour returns from around 1pm when the children close, you are back on the road”.
“This is my final appeal across Lagos to all Danfo drivers. Don’t park on our roads. Rush hours, you are moving passengers fine but after rush hours, find a place to park off the highway because your rights to use the road make you also responsible to ensure that other people can use it if they want to use it”, he stated.
Speaking earlier, some of the community leaders including the Babaloja of Olorunsogo ultra modern market, Mr Lukman Adeyemo admitted that some minors with criminal intents have indeed turned the area into their hideouts but said they have been flushed out by security agencies with the active collaboration of the residents.
He gave a commitment that such incidences would not repeat itself in the Mosafejo area anymore as no property owner in the area would harbour any criminal or people with criminal intention anymore.
Another resident who spoke, Madam Esther Adekoya pleaded with the State Government to come to the aid of the residents of Mosafejo area by giving the area a wholesome facelift, saying the people have been desirous of the regeneration since the days of Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
The Governor was accompanied on the inspection by the Deputy Governor, Hon (Mrs) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, members of the State Executive Council and Chairman of the State Task Force, Chief Superintendent Bayo Sulaiman.
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