Isiwu, the forgotten community in Ikorodu division in search of Oba, roads, water, schools, electricity, markets, police station; wants BRF’s intervention

The residents of Isiwu, a rural community in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area, have made a passionate appeal to both the local council and state government to come to their aid and provide infrastructural facilities to the community, among other teething problems begging for attention.

This appeal is coming on the heels of continuous neglect and infrastructural decadence caused by the non-performance of successive local and state government. The community, which has over 30,000 inhabitants, is where the Ikorodu North LCDA secretariat is located.

Apart from not having the necessary facilities, the problem of the community is compounded by the fact that the community has no traditional ruler since the demise of the last king in 2005. In an interview with Oriwu Sun, Mr. Olalekan Ayodeji, a concerned resident of Isiwu, lamented the massive backwardness of the community in terms of zero infrastructural development, observing that despite their support for both the local and state government, they have not been enjoying the dividends of democracy like other communities.

He explained that the only primary and secondary schools in the community are in a state of disrepair as they get flooded each time it rains. “It has been a common feature to see pupils and students receiving lectures under trees because there are not enough classrooms. Worst of all is that most of them sit on the bare floor”.

According to Ayodeji, the inability of the government to construct perimeter fence at the primary school is responsible for the illicit acts being perpetrated by miscreants and other residents within the school premises. He also blamed the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for the plight of the schools, as all the efforts made by the community to draw their attention proved abortive.

Mr. Ayodeji also disclosed that he has written several letters to the chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon. Adeola Jokomba, concerning the schools and other issues affecting the community, but he has refused to show concern and always complained that the council does not have enough money. However, he thanked the state government in the area of providing a standard toilet facility at the Isiu Grammar school and appealed for provision of more classrooms and furniture to make the school environment conducive for learning.

He also recalled that the only tarred road in the town was left uncompleted by the contractors since 2002 and that the effort being made by the community to secure grader from the council to make other roads motorable has not yielded any fruits. In his words, “When we want to use the grader, it is like we want to rent it because they will tell us that we have to provide diesel and also pay the operator. By the time you quantify this, it is equivalent to renting a grader from outside the community.”

Ayodeji said that inspite of all these expenses, you would still be told that the grader cannot work beyond a specific day and you are compelled to finish the job that day or forget about it. Health care in the community was another thing he talked about, explaining that the only Health Centre does not operate for twenty four hours (24 hours) like the others in Ikorodu division. This has made it difficult for residents to access treatment during emergency at night, he lamented.

While stating that the people of Isiwu have been making efforts to address some of these problems, he appealed to the Ikorodu North LCDA and the state government, as well as other well-meaning indigenes of Isiwu, to assist in the upgrading and provision of infrastructure in the community.

He also attributed the backwardness of the community to lack of leadership, stating that if there had been a leader, the community would have been able to enjoy the attention of both local and state governments. Ayodeji revealed that the Obaship tussle in the community had been resolved among the Ruling Houses and a candidate had already been presented to the state government, waiting for necessary papers and pronouncement. He appealed to the government to hasten up the process.

Mr. Isiaka Bashiru, another resident and indigene of the town, also appealed to the state government to do everything possible to ensure that a king emerges in the community very soon to enable them have a leader that would relate with the government on their behalf, expressing confidence also that the problem of insecurity being perpetrated by land grabbers would be duly addressed once there is a king.

While berating the non-challant attitude of the Ikorodu North LCDA towards the plight of the people of Isiwu, Mr. Bashiru implored the state government to urgently help in upgrading the facilities in both primary and secondary schools in the community, as well as the provision of drinkable water and other basic infrastructure, to give the people a new lease of life.

A former chairman of the Parents Teachers Association of the local government primary school, Isiwu, Ustaz Dauda Ajani, who has been living in Isiwu since 1971, while speaking with Oriwu Sun, decried the dilapidated condition of the school and other infrastructure in the community. He appealed to both Ikorodu North LCDA and the state government for urgent attention, requesting the state to install the transformer it donated to them to complement the only one serving the community.

According to Ustaz Ajani, the community had already sought the assistance of the council chairman on the transformer but were told to install it with the promise to refund whatever amount to be spent.

One of the youth leaders in the community, Hakeem Tijani, in a brief chat with our reporter, also identified lack of leadership as the bane of the community. He said that the youth had already met with the elders in the town to resolve the Obaship tussle, as it is now left for the state government to approve the person presented to them.

Meanwhile, the leader of the legislative arm of Ikorodu North LCDA, who is also the councilor representing Isiwu Community, Hon. Wasiu Adebisi Banwo, in a chat with Oriwu Sun, explained that the Council Authority was aware of the poor state of the Primary school but promised that the school would be given a face-lift before the end of the current administration.

Banwo said that the claim by the people of Isiwu community that the council demanded that they should provide diesel whenever they want to use the grader is not a big deal because, according to him, it is a common practice in other councils across the state. He explained that the lean purse of the council is responsible for such arrangement and appealed to them to bear with the council.

On the issue of transformer installation, Hon. Banwo remarked that he had already met with the representatives of the community and asked them to write a letter to the chairman and send a copy to him, which they have not done, wondering why the people of the community would be complaining that the chairman is not willing to assist them in installing the transformer when they have not written him officially.

While also speaking with our reporter, a key official in the council, who pleaded anonymity, described the state of local government primary, Isiwu, as an eyesore lamented the failure of the council authority to address the perceived problem.  He said that the council secretariat is within the same vicinity with the school, explaining that all concerned have discussed this issue several times with the chairman, but he has refused to act.

However, in a brief telephone chat with the chairman of Ikorodu North, LCDA, Hon. Adeola Jokomba, he said that his administration has done so much for Isiwu community and is still willing to do more, but the monthly allocation to the council cannot accommodate most of their requests. He then appealed to the state government to assist the council in addressing the infrastructural problems in Isiwu and other communities of the LCDA.