The challenges of border towns have remained over the years and may continue as they are often, and unintentionally, neglected as a result of to their location which is usually far from the seat of power and the belief or expectation of them benefiting from their neighbour. The case is not different from what is obtainable in the border communities between Mosan-Okunola and Egbe-Idimu LCDAs here in Alimosho LGA.
These communities comprising of Ifedapo CDA, Abule-Odun community, Tomi Williams, Gloryland and Graceland estates have suffered tremendous neglects by successive governments, both local and state. During our interaction with the chairman of Ifedapo CDA Barrister Bamiji Adeosun, he noted that their challenge was made worst with the creation of the Local Community Development Councils. According to him, Ifedapo CDA initially was assumed to be under Egbe-Idimu LCDA until the matter was addressed by the current governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with other leaders in the Alimosho LGA and was returned to her rightful place which is Mosan-Okunola LCDA.
According to him despite the resolving of that issue the area has remained grossly neglected, if not abandoned, as successive governments have not extended their activities to the community. He narrated that the community was existing through the sole efforts of her residents who have over the years taken it upon themselves to provide for all their needs, ranging from electrical installations to consistently providing palliative measures on their few existing roads despite the fact that it is an erosion-prone community.
He reiterated that an erosion-prone community such as Ifedapo CDA requires consistent government presence to check the menace in order to save lives and properties but such has remained elusive while noting that the only thing the community has benefited was the donation of an electric transformer by Senator Solomon Adeola. He showed us some of the erosion points which have cut away some homes from accessibility as residents park their cars meters away from their homes. He further said that the current CDC Chairman of, Mosan-Okunola Dr Baruwa Akinfolarin has visited the community with his team and promised to get the relevant authorities to come to their aid.
The other Abule-Odu community which is under the Egbe-Idimu LCDA can hardly account for any presence of her immediate government as the community dwells in abject neglect of infrastructure. From the roads and the general environment, one can only see huge signs of abandonment despite her proximity to the council secretariat. These communities have been left in a dire state of abandonment. Oduwole Road which is the gateway to this community which was listed among the roads to be constructed under Governor Ambode’s 181 road project has remained in a quagmire as it has become much easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than to drive through Oduwole Road. Works are ongoing on other roads in the same list.
The communities of Tomi Williams down to Mechanic Village which are characterized by buildings under the high tension poles which are danger waiting to manifest are left without precaution. In the two major estates in the community, Graceland and Gloryland, which on their own may be ascribed the status of having their own government as they have far realized their expectations and have set the motion in place to provide the basic amenities required for human existence. Annually, the estates continually make provision for the grading of the roads in the neighbourhood and even the federal road that leads to the estates. To complement the efforts of the police also they have continually engaged various security outfits to provide minimal internal security while lighting up the community through community funded and maintained streetlights.
These communities, therefore, need the urgent presence of the relevant authorities to make life more meaningful for their numerous residents which will, in turn, mean more internally generated revenue for the authorities.
