For a lot of people outside this community is a reserved area for more or less the fading "middle class" that in this degenerated economy is handcuffed. A reserved area is not meant for everyone to reside. However, the opposite speaks for itself.
It was on Saturday November 4, 2017 that I was invited to a wedding at Kirikiri Town of a fellow colleague, teaching in the same weekend tutorial centre of Top Academic Associate (TAA). Actually, this is the first time the earth of that place bore witness visited. It was a rich experience one has to write something about it. In spite of the hype given by commentaries and stories, however, the very thing I saw there is a mind-blowing reality that one cannot pack like decayed bones and hidden inside ossuary. It is a sharp contrast which demonstrates the existing condition of poor people.
The bad roads I saw that day can cause a fatal accident. They were all the same in all the streets including the major roads. They have the same suffering look. In fact, some are pit not potholes, a trap for commuters during wet season. Also, it must have been recorded that approaching wet season, vehicles, commuters, Okada riders will have to start thinking of an alternative for themselves because of failed government intervention. There is no doubt politicians must have used this means to campaign and yet do nothing about it.
The bad roads I saw that day can cause a fatal accident. They were all the same in all the streets including the major roads. They have the same suffering look. In fact, some are pit not potholes, a trap for commuters during wet season. Also, it must have been recorded that approaching wet season, vehicles, commuters, Okada riders will have to start thinking of an alternative for themselves because of failed government intervention. There is no doubt politicians must have used this means to campaign and yet do nothing about it.
Fundamentally, it is a norm in world pro-rich politics most especially backward countries as we have in neo-colonial continent today where politicians feast on people's ignorance. They sell lies in the name of election while is to protect the big sharks, wolves and bull-dogs in an economy eating raw people through any means. Briefcase politicians see provision of basic amenities as burden to provide. For them, the wolves must come first than the chick. This has been the attitude of politicians who see development as something not possible because of what to eat.
As I said earlier, these roads are pit that in wet season I suspected will be, must be filled to the brim with unflowing water houses bear the consequence of government failure. Buses, trucks suffer breakdown due to bad roads, the State has refused to construct. The government on their part might claim there is no enough resources to address this compound crisis people on daily basis complain bitterly about. But on the side of public officeholders is a lie. Vanguard Newspaper reported the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State as thus: "Inspite of the economic recession in the country, Lagos State Government, yesterday said N312. 820 billion was realized in 2016 from internally generated revenue, IGR, a N64, 874 billion increase above 2015 income. Shockingly, monthly IGR in Lagos now is 26 billion" and above. (20 April, 2017).
The Amuwo Odofin Local government under the chairmanship of Comrade Valentine Buraimoh that collect monthly allocation from the Federal Government are also guilty of this road dilapidation. Being they generate revenue, thus, there can never be a genuine excuse not to implement adequately programs that should develop the community, according to reliable information gathered. It was said contracts have been awarded on most of the roads in Kirikiri Town amounting to millions upon millions. Yet, past and present regime have banked the fund for themselves in order to return back to power. The 2015 Federal and State elections and the July 2017 conducted Local Government election are reference of this mind-blowing reality.
Vanguard of 27 January, 2017 reported saying the Ambode government intend to rehabilitate 181 roads in 57 local government, meaning three roads from each local government and LCDA respectively. In spite of this intended program by the Ambode government through this project contractor: Invitation For Bids (IFB), the reverse consequence of this will be many of these roads won't be constructed down the communities. They will virtually remain the same and people shall continue to suffer badly from it most especially during wet season. The Ambode led APC government are never constructing new roads. What they intend to do according to them is to rehabilitate, which in budget is equivalent and even more than constructing new roads.
Having 181 roads for the 20 LGA and 37 LCDA respectively is not enough. Only in Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA it has more than three hundred roads commuters ply every day. Despite the multiple levies, taxes the State and local government generate, yet they are saying three from each for 57 LGA/LCDA. The end result of this shall be politicians in their respective pro-rich parties, who indirectly owe these construction companies will bank this fund or construct roads to barely survive 36 months or less. This is one funny happening occurring in capitalism, where government officials award contracts to themselves in the name of whatever they called it. Politicians being opportunistic will always want to exploit any available crisis for themselves with the excuse of development, which has being a norm in capitalism.
To believe the State have limited resources to spend judiciously and adequately on road construction and also considering train system as an alternative in transportation in Lagos State is fallacious. The Lagos State Government has what it takes to resolve this compounding crisis people are going through everyday in traffic caused because of dilapidated and congested roads. In most communities, it is the poor working residents (government hardly provide for) that have to sometimes levy themselves to purchase broken bricks from possibly Julius Berger to fill up the pit for passage and avoid any fatal accident.
Beginning from the Y-Junction in Kirikiri Town leading to the bridge and many interior part along the Police Station and Dr. Lukas Primary school are all terribly bad. If there is any downpour pupils, teachers, traders, residents etc will have to swim through to their destination. This is the same fate clouding other slum ghetto communities government has abandoned. Streets like Magbesa, Cardozo, Shokunbi, etc I passed on 4 November, are suffering the same fate mostly when in wet season.
In a socialist plan state, road construction and welfare are priorities in order to industrialize the economy. Electronic Train System as an emerging means of transportation shall be taken seriously so to industrialize the economy in order to engage joblessness through employment. Basic amenities and infrastructures shall be priority. The economy must be fully industrialized to guarantee all these basic amenities.
Compare to what the politicians in APC, PDP are doing contracting public amenities, socialist government under democratic control and management will to have execute most of these infrastructures this infrastructure through adequately equipped public workers departments with well-trained workers . And there will be a democratic control and management of how dilapidated suffering roads can best benefit the poor and develop the economy as currently existing in many poor working communities.
By
Fidel Davy
SLUM PHOTOS
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