There is a certain electricity in the air when a candidacy feels less like an imposition and more like a collective choice. The emergence of Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) as the APC governorship candidate carries that charge. It has not been greeted with the usual grumbling compliance, but has been met, in many quarters, with something closer to relief, even expectation.

The reaction to his emergence is not accidental. It is something rooted in memory. In places where yawning gaps in infrastructure make government a rumour or folklore, people remember who intervened tangibly. While representing Lagos West, Yayi built a reputation for not treating constituencies like abstract map points.

In Obawole, in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area where I live, he installed a 500KVA transformer in my CDA. He followed that up by tarring seven streets, complete with drainage. Five years on, those roads have held their shape with a dignity that shames many newer projects. In a country where roads do not last longer than lettuce, that kind of durability becomes a political argument.

Those seven roads are inner street affairs that are the responsibility of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area. The Chairman at the time, the now deceased and formidably useless Toba Oke, had his house in the vicinity in which the roads were built. He could not build them. Even the one on which his house stands remained under construction till his two terms ended. It was completed by his successor.

Multiply what Yayi did in my hood across communities that have felt his interventions and you begin to understand the groundswell. For many, this is not about the party platform, but about a man whose record suggests that he understands needs, especially of the very desperate variety. It is not certain that he will win the election, but he looks the out-and-out favourite.

For his candidacy to mean anything beyond comfort for those already touched, I think, it must become something harder, sharper and more consequential. The truth is that just beyond the pockets of progress lie whole belts of abandonment.

We have seen promise curdle into incompetence and self-described reformers turn arsonists, fanning the very neglect they swore to end. Those areas have had enough of that cycle.

You want to know? Akute, Lambe, Oke Aro, Agbado, Matogun, Osere, Maidan, Legun, Adiyan, Ijoko, Mowe, Ofada, Ibafo et al. These are not obscure hamlets, but dense, energetic and economically-alive corridors sitting on the Lagos boundary that have been condemned to exist as afterthoughts for 27 years of civil rule.

In these communities, there are no roads worth the name, no functional schools that can carry the weight of their swelling populations and no hospital worth the description. The nearest fire station to Lambe, for example, is 24 kilometres away.  A few years ago, a tanker fire licked many buildings, including a Celestial Church parish on Matogun Road. Fire trucks could not have arrived timeously because the fire station is far away and because the surface of the moon is smoother than the road leading to the scene of the accident.

In these areas, neglect is not an abstract policy failure. It is a daily assault gleefully carried out by successive administrations, with the worst being that of Ibikunle Amosun. Businesses have been quietly strangled by inaccessibility. Those that survive do so on one leg, unable to expand, unable to employ and unable to breathe. Property values have collapsed, turning what should be family assets into liabilities. Health outcomes are worsening because distance and bad roads are often the difference between life and death. Beneath all of this is a more corrosive message that residents of those places do not matter.

Yayi’s emergence, for all the goodwill it has generated, must confront this history head-on, if he is elected. It cannot be another cycle of selective intervention, of islands of competence in a sea of disregard. The Lagos-Ogun boundary belt is asking for inclusion, not miracles. It has an agenda that suggests itself. It is clear and urgent.

First, roads. Not those ceremonial stretches built for social media. Those areas need a comprehensive grid that connects the communities internally and to economic hubs. They need roads that can carry commerce, not just okada and Keke NAPEP. Second, public services such as functional primary and secondary schools, properly equipped hospitals and fire stations positioned with intent.

Third, economic revival through support for small and medium enterprises and incentives that recognise the strategic location of these areas as spillover zones from Lagos. Fourth, planning. These communities have grown in spite of the state. They must now be integrated into a coherent urban vision that prevents chaos from becoming permanent. I should know. I lived in one for nine years and if you lived in one, you have lived in all.

Finally, dignity. Those areas need governance that signals, in policy and in presence, that the residents do not remain children of a lesser god. That is what they currently are.

The enthusiasm greeting Yayi today is a form of credit earned through past interventions. But credit, in politics, is perishable. It must be redeemed with a broader and bolder commitment, if and when he earns the mandate. He has shown he can fix streets. If he gets elected, he will be required to fix a pattern of exclusion that has endured for nearly three decades.

If he does, this moment of delight will harden into trust. If he does not, it will slip quietly into that long ledger of missed chances. There is reason for caution. Our history is crowded with false dawns. We have seen promise curdle into incompetence and self-described reformers turn arsonists, fanning the very neglect they swore to end. Those areas have had enough of that cycle.

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The event which will start at 9.00 a.m. will hold at Ibukunolwa Community Hall, near Idi-Obi bus stop, Lemode-Ijoko area.

The programme with the theme, “Sustainable Community Health: Way Forward” will feature Health Talk, Free Test and Free Drugs.

It would be recalled that a similar programme was held at the venue last year with many residents of the area benefitting from it.

The convener of the programme, Mr. Osevbobo Babatunde Henry, who spoke about the event said it was meant for the benefit of the general public irrespective of their religious or ethnic bias.

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Osevbobo, in an interview with FrontPage stated that the programme was inspired by the need “to give back to humanity.”

He said although the organisation behind the initiative was a faith-based one, the programme was not restricted to any religious or ethnic group.

“We strongly believe that we are all humans first before we become religious,” he reasoned.

Osevbobo said it was the intention of the organisers of the programme to support the populace in the area of health in order to promote healthy living.

The programme was started in 2021.

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Inept, invisible, impotent, inert, indolent, inefficacious, indifferent and incompetent. One or more of the preceding adjectives could/ should apply to any or all of the four governors of Ogun State in the last 23 years. In the inglorious line-up are Olusegun Osoba (1999-2003), Gbenga Daniel (2003-2011), Ibikunle Amosun (2011-2019) and Dapo Abiodun (2019-). I am eligible, I believe, to speak for the residents of the numerous communities of the state on the Lagos-Ogun boundary.

I lived joylessly for nine years in Lambe, one of those communities, and had reasons to visit many others. The adjectives in the opening sentence are what any sentient resident of Ojodu Abiodun, Alagbole, Akute, Lambe, Giwa/ Oke-Aro, Agbado, Ope-Ilu, Adiyan,  Matogun, Ijoko, Mowe, Ibafo, Ota and others would have no hesitation in using to describe the governors and those allegedly representing them. By 2024, the residents would have spent a quarter of a century without receiving any dividend on their democratic investments in any of these governors, council chairmen or legislators at any level. None at all.

Why should Abiodun’s promise to provide succour be believed, given he has acted blind, deaf and dumb until now? He is desperate for votes which, if he gets, will be a munificent reward for his insensitivity.

Zero public water supply, hovel-like health facilities and manger-like schools are all they have. They have been condemned to provide alternatives via privately-sunk boreholes, private hospitals and schools. What is way beyond them are roads, of which there is not a single motorable one. Not one, I repeat. The Buba Marwa Road between Iju in Lagos State and Giwa in Ogun State has not received any attention since it was built in the mid-90s by the Lagos State government under Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa.

For context, the nearest Ogun State Fire Service station to Akute is at Ota, a distance of 24 kilometres on roads that seemed to have been bombed in a war or chewed up by the equipment driven by utter maniacs. Should there be a major fire incident, the length of the travel time would discourage even the most committed firefighters, leaving the fire to lick everything in its path. No need to talk about health emergencies.

A magazine editor friend of mine lived in Ijoko for years until he could take it no more. He left to build another house in Matogun where he currently lives. Matogun is next to Lambe and is a tad more depressed. Yet, when he came, he said his new place is Ikoyi compared to where he lived. He told me a frightening story.

One day, he said, he finished production at about 10.30pm and started his long drive home from his office at Oregun, Lagos. Mid-trip, it started raining, a sign of trouble on roads better not travelled. About three kilometres to his house, his car got stuck in a muddy part of the road. Alone in a place noted for its frequent robbery attacks, trekking was the only option at that time of the day. He was aware that he could be easy picking for even the least daring of robbers.

So, he took off his shirt, folded it and put it on his head to come across as deranged as to make himself an unappealing target. Left in his car were his laptop, office bag and other personal effects. He kept walking home. As he approached his street, with unrelenting rain pelting him, he was sighted from a distance by neighborhood security men.

They flashed lights at him. Seeing he was topless and alone, they took him for a stray loony (exactly what he wanted) and did not bother about him until he got really close and was stopped. “Daddy XYZ, what is the matter?” they asked. He told them his story. That was the day he decided he had to leave. Not many are that lucky. Without funds to build or rent elsewhere, they are serving a life sentence with hard labour.

It is the continuation of this grotesque experience and worse that Governor Abiodun wants for the people of those communities. Since becoming the governor in 2015, he neither visited the areas nor spoke, even in passing, about the dreary lives of the residents until a few weeks ago when Sango-Ota residents protested the supremely lamentable state of roads in their community. The only drawable inference from his visit and promise to provide succour is that those communities are nothing more than vote baskets, useful only when elections approach. They are like a buffet table where you go to “serve yourself” and disappear to Abeokuta till when next they need votes.

Abiodun has acted like the 32-kilometre road from Ojodu to Ota, started by Amosun, has been completed. When the construction started under the Amosun administration, buildings, including for residential and commercial purposes, were demolished to make way. A woman I knew lost 52 of the 120 shops in her shopping complex. She told me she was offered N1.5million as compensation, which she deemed too meagre to expend energy on. Others made similar or bigger sacrifices. Yet, they do not have a road and their lives remain miserable till date.

Amosun lied that he would complete the road if he got a second term. He was voted for and that was the end. Why should Abiodun’s promise to provide succour be believed, given he has acted blind, deaf and dumb until now? He is desperate for votes which, if he gets, will be a munificent reward for his insensitivity. He has ordered, in some communities, the start of palliative road repairs marked by the dumping of huge stones that will not be compacted. What those will do to tyres and suspensions of vehicles is what the roads in the communities always have done: destroy them.

Private school owners, who run bus services in the communities, need to be asked how they are coping. In addition to ruining vehicles, the poor roads have wrecked investments in property, obliterated chances of profits from leisure facilities like event halls, hotels and bars; supermarkets, beauty parlours et al. These are potential sources of employment and, of course, revenue for the government.

An older friend of mine (now deceased) built five houses in Lambe. He resided in one. His hope when building was that the community would receive government attention in terms of infrastructure because of the number of people moving in. After 14 years, he relocated to a rented apartment in Agege, Lagos, and decided to sell up. All the offers received were comical. He sold none till he died last year. Numerous other home owners have either left for rented apartments or acquired new homes, leaving their buildings to tenants who pay “attractive” rents of N150,000 for superbly built three-bedroom flats and N300, 000 for detached duplexes. No prizes for guessing why.

I moved to Lambe in 2007 and left in 2016. All through that time, I became convinced-and remain so-that the people mistook arsonists for firefighters.

The starting point, now that elections are close, is conditioning family, friends and acquaintances to see those who have neglected them as mortal enemies. It cannot be otherwise. The conditioning should be mercilessly strident, with a view to ensuring that those who have treated them shabbily are voted out, preferably into oblivion.

All the governors, including the current one, and representatives do not give a toss about them. It will take a mighty effort to get relief, but it has to start now.

The starting point, now that elections are close, is conditioning family, friends and acquaintances to see those who have neglected them as mortal enemies. It cannot be otherwise. The conditioning should be mercilessly strident, with a view to ensuring that those who have treated them shabbily are voted out, preferably into oblivion.

Calumny? Nothing wrong with making those who served calumny fed the same. I have seen some argue, not exactly without justification, that palliative measures are the only things possible at this time because of the rains. But that ignores the fact that it has not rained non-stop since Abiodun became governor. Palliative measures are a no-solution.

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This is one of the predictions of Prophet Ezekiel Badmus of Christ Apostolic Church, City of God District Headquarters, Ijoko, Agbara DCC, Akinyele Region, Ogun State.

In a statement titled ‘Message of God for Year 2021 by Prophet E. A. Badmus’ and made available to FrontPage (frontpageng.com), the prophet added that God had warned that He would also judge those troubling Nigeria with their machinery and human instruments, and those who governed with lies and deceit.

According to him, there would be happenings in the country to show that “God is moving in Nigeria.”

He predicted that God would set everything in order and bring back the glory of Nigeria.

The message reads in full:

MESSAGE OF GOD FOR YEAR 2021 BY PROPHET E. A. BADMUS

Hear the word of the Lord. I am the Lord God of host. I am the I am that I am, the God of the Spirit of the prophets. My beloved son, I came down to visit you and reveal to you the mysteries about the year 2021.

THE WORLD AT LARGE

1. Year 2021 is a year of RESTORATION. Regarding the novel pandemic of year 2020, I used it to demonstrate to the entire world that I the Lord God reigns and rules over the affairs of men.
2. My beloved son, I foretold that year 2020 would be riddled with different storms. I did this for the nations of the world to recognize me as God and return to me as their God.
3. Therefore, you nations of the world, seek me the Lord in year 2021 because my coming is imminent. I am the Lord, and I change not.

NIGERIA

1. The cries of the righteous have come up to me. I see everything and I the Lord will do a powerful thing in Nigeria.
2. I have given opportunity for repentance to the troublers of this country but they rejected repentance. For this reason, I the Lord will shake this country one more time, says the Lord of host, especially as it concerns those who regard themselves as powerful who are tormenting my beloved.
3. Concerning those who are troubling Nigeria with their machinery and human instruments who govern Nigeria with lies and deceit, the Lord says that he will judge them and His anger will be ignited against them and there will be happenings so much that all nations of the earth will know that God moving in Nigeria.
4. Because of my beloved children in Nigeria, I the Lord will set everything in order and bring back the glory of Nigeria.

CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH WORLDWIDE

I am the God of Christ Apostolic Church, God of Akinyele, God of Odubanjo and God of Joseph Ayodele Babalola. Regarding the CAC, it is my church and it is a living church.

1. I the Lord appointed the current people in authority for special assignments. My servants, my beloved, Samuel Oluwasegun Oladele and Emmanuel Olatoro Odejobi.
2. The time of I the Lord has come in CAC; I begin the work of CORRECTION.
3. The assignment before them is the work of correction that is powerful. Make straight the way of the Lord and set right His path. I chose them to repair the ALTAR of Christ Apostolic Church for my second coming.
4. I appointed them to cleanse my church.
5. The assignment I commit into their hands NOW is the work of correction and reorganization in order to make crooked places straight.

Peace be unto you, says the Lord of host. Have a wonderful, prosperous, fruitful and successful year 2021 in Jesus’ name.

Message of God through:

Prophet E.A. Badmus

(08033158678)

CAC, City of God District

Agbara DCC, Akinyele Region.

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Khadijah Aroyewum-Adekomaiya, the District Public Relations Officer, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

NAN reports that the MTTS service from Apapa/Iddo Stations in Lagos State is always terminated at ljoko/Kajola Station as against Agbado Station.

Aroyewum-Adekomaiya said that instead of Ijoko, the termination station would be Agbado Station.

She said: “We want to inform our dear valued passengers that the train departure and terminating stations now is Agbado Station due to the ongoing construction of the standard gauge line.

“This suspension of Ijoko Station service will be between August 10 and August 24.

“The new schedule of train movement will be communicated soon.”

Aroyewum- Adekomaiya urged the passengers to bear with the corporation inconveniency the suspension might have caused.

NAN reports that stations in the corridor include: Iganmu-Ebute Metta Junction, Yaba, Mushin, Oshodi, Shogunle Ikeja, Agege, Iju, Agbado, Itoki, Oposuru, Ijoko and Kajola.

The post Construction: NRC suspends train service to Ijoko, Lagos Station appeared first on Frontpageng.

He made the call following the persistent flooding of some portions of the Ijoko-Agbado road on Sunday as a result of downpour.

The community leader who spoke with our correspondent said the flooding had made the road simply impassable.

He said the rainfall in recent time had made life unbearable for residents of the people of Ijoko-Lemode area, hence the need for urgent attention by the state government.

According to him, going out and coming in had become a major problem with costs of transportation on the increase.

He said the problem of bad roads had worsened the economic life of the area as business activities had totally collapsed.

Mr. Adebayo added that because of the bad roads, some residents, including landlords had packed out.

He identified the areas with major problem of flooding as Delma Bus Stop, near Oposuru; Kelvin Bus Stop and Bashy on the Ijoko-Agbado road.

His words: “We appeal to Ogun State government under the leadership of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to come to our aid. This is a save our soul message. The roads are bad and we are often cut off when it rains.

“The cost of movement within the area is very high because of the bad roads. All our vehicles, including those used for commercial purposes have broken down. For a distance that should ordinarily cost N50, we are charged N100 and at times N150. This is not good at all. It is affecting business; our children find it difficult to go to school whenever it rains because of the bad roads. It is really affecting livelihood in the area.

“We know that the governor has done a lot since he came to government, he should save our roads from total collapse; we deserve to live like human beings.”

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