Why we are crying for better roads, schools and other infrastructure in Badagry – Hon David
The lawmaker representing Badagry Constituency 2 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Setonji David has reiterated that the people of Badagry deserves better infrastructure as well as more social amenities to catch up with other parts of the state.
David who was speaking on the stakeholders meeting held across the 40 constituencies in the state on Wednesday September 11, 2019 in an interview session, stated that the residents expressed their views on their expectations from the state government. PATRICK OKOHUE met him.
How was the just concluded stakeholder’s meeting in your constituency, Badagry 2?
We just had our annual stakeholders meeting and it was very interesting. It was well attended. All the obas in my constituency were in attendance, a good number of the baales, almost all of them were there too.
Several chiefs, members of the Community Development Committees (CDCs), Community Development Associations (CDAs), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and even members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were there.
Former state chairman of the party who is in my constituency was there. It is a very good mechanism of the House to feel the pulse of the people, where people will tell us what they want. It is a good opportunity for the people to air their views.
What are the major environmental challenges in your constituency?
Environmental Challenges could be about security, infrastructure and all that. The greatest environmental challenge in Badagry is the Badagry Express Road. It is a terrible road.
It is unfortunate that an international road like that could be like that. The main potential of Badagry is tourism, it is a 40 kilometer road.
It is not the fault of the Lagos State government per say, it is a federal road. But thank God the road has been awarded. The government is now working on it. We have a major challenge of road in Badagry.
There was a road that was awarded during the time of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, about 13 years ago and the road has not been done still, I mean Iyase Road. They excavated it and it is now so bad. Oko Afo to Ilogbo Eremi in the town is in a terrible state now.
Our major challenge in Badagry is lack of road. Also, there are so many schools that are in bad state in Badagry.
We have many secondary schools, but they are not enough. The people expressed themselves believing that the government would do it.
The current government in Lagos State has spent 100 days in office, how would you assess it?
100 days is very small in the life of a government. The governor has done a lot. Let us give him more time, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would perform wonders in Lagos State.
We are very optimistic. He has started well. We should give him time, he would perform wonders.
What are your agenda for your people?
I have said it that we don’t have enough roads in Badagry, our schools are not enough, we don’t have infrastructure. If you know the number of schools in Badagry you would be amazed.
Our drainages are not enough and when rain falls you would see a lot of flooding. Areas that were not being affected before are now being affected.
Our canals are filled up and the last government did not do enough in this regard. Another problem we have in Badagry is police check points, from Igbo Elerin to Badagry roundabout, you have about 20 police check points.
So, there is no economic activities going on in Badagry because people are always complaining about police, customs, immigration and others, who are on the road extorting money from the people.
Police is the worst in this regard. We are calling on the government to do something about this.
The Federal Government has started working on Badagry Road, what has been the effect?
We are not feeling the effect now, they are working there, but the road is still in a bad shape.
What is going on there is beyond palliative, it is total failure of the road. They should expedite action so that another rainy season would not meet them there.
