Press Releases

Fashola Appeals To Residents Of Obele Oniwala Over Canal Project In The Area

Sep 4, 2008 - Lagos State Governor, Mr.Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday advised residents of Obele Oniwala area in Surulere Local Government to co-operate with the contractor handling the canal dredging in the area in order to achieve the best results.

According to Governor Fashola who spoke during an inspection of level of work in the area, the community leaders and youth should channel any complaint about the quality of work to his office at the completion of the project.

He added that as experts in the field of canal dredging whom the state government contracted the job to, the community leaders should please allow Messrs Dully Dredging to continue with the work as the contract are in stages.

He added that if the residents refuse to cooperate with the contractor in solving the problem of flooding which is ravaging the area, the contractor might be relocated to some other areas where his services would be better appreciated.

He assured the residents that the project is being supervised by experts from the state and that if the contractor fails to perform satisfactorily he would not be paid.

He added that the degradation of the Obele Oniwala area started over thirty years ago due to the complicity of the various landlords and landowners who leased out their private properties for commercial purposes.

He added that when the commercial spare parts dealers to whom the area was leased turned the canal into refuse dump where carcasses of used cars were dumped, they raised no eyebrows.

He advised that it would serve no useful purpose for the residents to hinder the work of the contractor hired by the state from carrying on with the job which has totally reduced the rating of the area which once had a major road servicing the Lagos Municipal Transport Services (LMTS) in the early Seventies.

Governor Fashola said a problem which has been building up for thirty years cannot be solved in one day.

He explained that the first stage of the work as sanctioned by technical experts from the state is for the contractor to dredge and cart away the silt from the canals, followed by the provision of concrete works before the actual road construction commences.

The Governor also challenged a group of youths who submitted a proposal to collaborate with the government on the on going projects to first ensure a thorough clean up of the area.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Muiz Banire explained that contract was awarded last year to Messrs Dully Dredging for the dredging, concrete lining of the canal in the area and construction of the road adding that dredging has been completed up to Itire and Cele bus stop while the real construction will start after the rains.

Earlier, while addressing the Governor, two elders of the Community, Alhaji Haruna Aliyu and Chief A.0 Fatai Balogun accused the contractor of doing a shoddy job since getting the contract adding that it got to a head with the heavy downpour of last July which destroyed equipment and property in the area.

They reiterated that they would not allow any contractor to get paid for doing a poor job only to leave them with the option of going back to seek government assistance on the same project after some two or three years.

Chief Balogun however commended the Governor for coming to the rescue of the area after such a long time.