Residents Kick Against Alleged Move by Lagos Assembly to Relocate School Construction Approved by Sanwo-Olu
- The residents of Ebute Metta (West) have urged the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to stop Lagos Assembly from relocating a secondary school to Oyingbo
- Governor Sanwo-Olu was said to have approved the construction of a senior secondary school in Ebute Metta West
- A member of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Owolabi Ajani, however, said during a stakeholders' meeting that the school would not be built in the area
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Ebute-Metta, Lagos - Apparently disturbed by the alleged move by the Lagos State House of Assembly to relocate the construction of senior secondary school from their area, the residents of Ebute Metta (West) in Lagos Mainland local government have kicked.
Legit.ng reports that the senior secondary school was approved to be built in the district by Governor Babjide Sanwo-Olu recently.
Source: Original
It was gathered that the Lagos state House of Assembly, chairman, House committee on education, Owolabi Ajani announced at the 7th annual stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lagos Mainland local government secretariat that the proposed senior secondary school which was earlier scheduled for construction in Ebute Metta (west) is now to be built at Oyingbo.
Responding to question by the traditional head of the community, Ajani assured stakeholders of the readiness of his committee to push for the relocation of the senior secondary school to Oyingbo.
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The chairman, Ijero/Sonola community development association, Babalola Thomas, said residents have been agitating for the senior secondary school for many years before it was graciously approved by Governor Sanwo-Olu.
He stated that in terms of public infrastructure, Ebute Metta (west) is marginalised while querying the rationale behind the concentration of developmental projects in one part of the district while other parts are neglected.
Thomas said:
“Although both East and West are under the same local government but the truth is, we are totally marginalised and are against the relocation of the construction of the Senior Secondary School to Oyingbo. We have been deprived of a lot of developmental projects in Ebute Metta (west). I don’t know how much you know about Lagos Mainland local government. It comprises of East and West. The rail line at the Botanical garden at Oyingbo is the demarcation.
"Many developmental projects are concentrated at Oyingbo but here in the Ebute Metta West, there is no public Senior Secondary School our children can attend therefore we are completely against the relocation. We are therefore appealing to the Lagos state government and the ministry of education to implement the already approved construction for the school to be built in the west of the Lagos Mainland of Lagos state.
"We need at least one senior secondary school in the west. They are concentrating every project in the East whereas in term of electoral value, Ebute Metta (west) has more population than the East, so what’s the criteria for the distribution of projects? It seems they are playing politics with the future of our children. This is pure politics. There is no single Senior Secondary public school in the entire west of Lagos Mainland. So, we want the government to address.”
In his remark, the chairman of Ojo Oniyun CDA, P.C Okafor also rejected the planned relocation, noting that Ebute Metta west is the best location for the construction of the proposed Senior Secondary School.
He added:
“Otumara is the best place for the construction. Our community is peaceful and we have the space. The foundation that was laid for the Senior Secondary by the administration of late Lateef Jakande in 1983 is still there till date. They can make use of that. Why the choice of Oyingbo? Why is it that every developmental project is taken to Oyingbo?
"I cannot picture anywhere at Oyingbo that is fit for the construction of the proposed Senior Secondary School. They should also give us this Senior secondary school at Ebute Metta (west) to maintain equity because Oyingbo has more than enough Senior Secondary School.”
The state commissioner for information and culture, Gbenga Omotoso, said teams from the ministry of education and the Surveyor-General’s Office had visited Otumara community only to discover that the land earmarked for the construction of the school had been turned to a market and the government asked them to provide an alternative but they had refused to provide one.
He said there is infighting; there are factions in the community. Some people say that it is the market that they want, they don’t want school. Unfortunately, those who don’t want school are in the majority.
The chairman of Otumara Community Development Association, Abass Ishola, said there are no factions or any in-fighting among residents or the ruler in the community.
He added:
“Our community is peaceful and there is no quarrel among residents. We have one traditional ruler in our community therefore there are no quarrels. We have been agitating for the Senior Secondary School for many years before Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu finally acceded to our demand.
"I see no justification for its relocation to another district where there are many public senior secondary schools when we don’t have anyone here. Something must be done urgently by the government to prevent this from eluding us.”
Freed Baptist student says he lacks mental strength to write WAEC, NECO exams
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Favour Silas, one of the freed Bethel Baptist students in Kaduna, recounted the horrible experiences he and some of her classmates went through at hands of kidnappers.
It was reported that favour disclosed that sometimes they were left without food for about four days.
She added that they were beaten by the criminals failing to do their assigned duties apart from the fact that they were forced to sleep on cow faeces.
Source: Legit.ng
