LAGOS/By Dipo Awojobi – Some residents of Abule Oki, Onajole area of Alimosho, Lagos have protested against the abandonment of Aboru, Lower Akinola Canal/Arigbanla Abbatoir Continuation Dredging and Concrete Lining Project by Dully Dredging and Construction Company Limited.
The protesters, who were led by the Chairman of the Community, Alhaji Kamorudeen Bamidele, chanted solidarity songs and displayed several placards to express their grievances.
Some of the placards read; “Governor of the masses, the contractor, Dully Dredging and Construction Company Limited has collected N1.9 Billion out of N2.7 Billion abandoned the project,” Arigbanla Continuation of the Aboru Project totally abandoned,” “N1.9 Billion collected and job not done,” “Dully Dredging Ole,” and “Save Our Soul, Governor Ambode, our people are dying of blood.”
Alhaji Bamidele stated that the residents were protesting against Arigbanla Continuation Concrete Lining Project, and that they have been on it since 2012, and that the problem of serious flooding started in the area immediately after the commissioning of the Agege Abbatoir over 20 years ago.
He stated that after several years of requesting from the state government since 2012, they felt that they could help themselves or ask the government to come to their aid, and that they contributed about N4 million to engage the services of a dredger to do the job.
“We were on the third week of the dredging, when former governor Babatunde Fashola sent someone from the Ministry of the Environment to come and meet us and they asked us to stop that the state government would continue from there.
“Moreso, we continued to dredge till three weeks later, when we heard that the contract has been awarded to Messrs Dully Engineering Dredging Service. Engineer Pearse is the Chairman of the company.
“We held several meetings with them and they commenced the project. After about four months, they started behaving somehow and they abandoned the project,” he said.
The community leader revealed that they spoke with the then Director of Dredging in the Ministry of the Environment, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and the then state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello.
Bamidele stated that, when they discovered that nothing was coming from the ministry, they decided to focus on the state government, and that it was later confirmed officially that the project had been abandoned.
He then insisted that it was wrong for a project that was awarded for N2.7 Billion out of which N1.9 Billion had been released to be abandoned just like that.
He said: “we could not just keep quiet like that. This is tax payers’ money, no contractor can be bigger than the state government. We were on that till the present administration came in, and we felt that a new government should be given some time.
“We stopped our protests and letters, when this government came in until later. The present Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare called us into a meeting, but Engineer Pearse refused to attend the meeting, and the Commissioner had to leave. But, the Commissioner could not attend the second meeting because he lost his sister two days to the meeting and the meeting has not been rescheduled since then.
“We started writing letters through courier service to the Governor and the Speaker of the House of Assembly. The money of the community was later used to block the bank of the canal to prevent the water from getting to our community.
“Later, Engineer Pearse and his people came to pack the sand away. One thing we know since 2012 is that the contract was awarded and some money has been collected. Can a contractor be bigger than the state government. We felt we should come to plead with the representatives of our people to plead with the government to come to our aid.”
He revealed that over 500 lives have been lost in the area in the last four years, and that over 70% of the water that comes to the area comes from Arigbanla end because, according to him, a concrete lining has been done up to the bridge to Abeokuta Expressway and that the water comes to the area.
He then urged the state house of assembly to compel the state government so that they could compel the contractor to come and execute the job.
In his reaction on behalf of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Hon. Olanrewaju OgunyemiI promised that the Assembly would continue to work to ensure that all the 40 constituencies in the state were catered for.
Ogunyemi stated that the issue was not new to assembly, but that it predates the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the state.
He said that the matter is before the House of Assembly, saying that the House received the petition and letter of the residents and that the contractor has been summoned by the Committee on Works and Infrastructure headed by Hon. Abiodun Tobun that is working on the issue.
“The House of Assembly would do justice to the matter. You can be sure of our integrity and commitment to the matter. The leadership of the assembly and the members would do something about the issue. We will speak on the matter soon.
“We will continue to protect your interest and that of other residents of the state. Engineer Pearse has appeared before the committee and the report is before the Assembly.
“We always get all the facts to an issue. This assembly came into power just about a year ago and the matter has been on since 2012. You will get feedback before the end of the year. We will not make you vulnerable to any environmental danger, and we will continue to collaborate with the executive to protect your interest,” he said.
Also speaking, Hon. Bisi Yusuf from Alimosho Constituency 1, who is representing the area, said that he is a member of the Works and Infrastructure Committee and that they have visited the site right from Aboru to Ile Epo and Ilo and that they saw the damage that has been done to the people of the area.
The lawmaker revealed that he forced the then government to start the project, and that so many people have been swept away by water in the area.
“The Speaker raised a committee to look into the matter and it is part of the stakeholders’ meeting that we held recently all over the state.
“The Speaker is very passionate about the welfare of the people. We have the power in Alimosho, so they cannot toy with our power, votes and political strength,” he said.
