(OPINION) Would You Vote For Surah Animashaun Again?
5 min read
By Balogun Orunbon
During the past few months I’ve found myself growing increasingly more upset with Ms. Surah Animashaun’s administration in Epe Local Government Area; so much so my left eye twitches whenever I read through my submissions, fact-finding, allegations and write-ups about the local government boss, being a mediocre, novice and apologically surrounded by sycophants, who are bent on destroying her and her administration. But why? because they wanted to line up their pockets with public fund of the council that meant for people.
And more importantly if I were to go back in time, would I vote for Ms. Surah Animashaun again? Indeed it’s the latter question that irritates me more and more with each passing second. For I suspect that were I have to make a choice again I would vote Animashaun – again! And that’s what upsets me the most.
I’m exasperated with a disillusionment of the most frightening proportions because of her administration’s poor economic performance, lack of will to move the council forward like Agbowa-Eredo, Ejirin-Ikosi and others. Their inability to be practical is fast becoming the stuff of legendary folklore, and I find myself wondering how on earth we’ll survive the next three years, as she was hellbent to contest for second term. But lurking at the back of my mind is a reality so basic and blatant that I literally can’t stand facing it. For in all likelihood I would vote for Surah Animashaun again.
Am I dumb, or clueless? Maybe a bit of both. Anyway, so as to ascertain whether or not I need those dour looking men women in white coats and heartless men and women in kaftan and Agbada to come and pick me up, I decided to find out whether others feel the same. Indeed, it is very absurd and ruthless that people in power doesn’t feel the pulse of the poor messes they are governing. Why on earth would a woman in saddle of that a such responsibility could not rescue the masses? I thought that women do have a good heart to tolerate and be good to the people, especially the needy in the community, but Animashaun proved me abortive and behaving as if she was not a woman.
Though, the ill-maintained roads in Epe division constrain the economy and cost lives, which becomes a nightmare to me every other days. More than 200 road traffic casualties were reported in Epe in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone, according to Statista. And the local government Boss, sees no reasons to fix those dilapidated roads in the council areas. But, she continue to leave the shore of Nigeria and gallivanting in Paris, France at the detriment of the poor masses.
Indeed, all roads in Epe are in shambles and disrepair, militating against commerce, wich make businesses in the area lull. But, instead of making move to reconstruct the roads, they were in the habit of siphoning the taxpayers’ money in the council, including allocation been given to them from Federal government. She leave the town (Epe) in darkness and relocated to Magbodo. It is over five months now that Epe people have witnessed electricity. Why continuing staying in Magbodo and leave your hometown in darkness, that’s the highest order of irresponsibility.
Some such roads including Oke-Posu, Etitun, Papa, Eyindi, and Oke-Balogun, Shade, NITEL-Odubote to mention a few, were all dilapidated, disrepair and in total collapsed for over two decades with no improvement and sign of any touches. Few weeks ago, I went rounds the roads to look at the level of the damages, it was an eyesore and nothing to write home about. Almost, every areas in Nitel, Odubote roads, including Ajagannabe were floated with flood like of Borno state. Some of Nursery schools in area were quickly closed down for the fear of not being washed away by floods.
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Some reconstructed gutters and patched roads recently are washed away with the first sign of rainfall. A large chunk of the local government area’s 40,000 kilometres of roads is dilapidated and disrepaired owing to years of neglect. Surah Animashaun should, therefore, ensure quality reconstruction through diligent oversight, in order to ameliorate and alleviate the sufferings and hardships been faced by the motorists, commuters and other road users in the local government area of the state.
In deed, in advanced countries, like the United States, there are surveillance systems on procurement. Each department has an independent Inspector-General that scrutinises all procurement activities and submits reports directly to the Congress. With this, the council Boss should be red alert to monitor the reconstruction of the gutters been done or the palliatives of roads done through thorough maintenance culture and monitoring exercise on daily basis.
And through effective oversight at every stage, the Epe Local Government needs to ensure proper quality control, regulation, and material testing on the construction of gutters, repairs, and standards. Ms. Surah Animashaun should devise a more efficient procurement process to fix the aforementioned roads above before it gets out of her hands.
I wondered at times, whether the local government is under the Lagos State I know. The local government had been lagged behind in terms of infrastructural facilities, reconstruction of roads, lack of electricity, decays in school and hospital facilities and many more, which in return affecting the commercial activities of the town. The people are now going to neighbouring town and city, like, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki, Poka, Noforija, Odomola, Mojoda, and others to meet up with their needs and demands. This is very shameful for the town and city with two different first class Obas.
The local government should work with the Councilors to drive legislation that will strengthen the Public Procurement Act so as to make infrastructural, health care facilities accessible to the poor masses of the town and to also fix all dilapidated roads within the town in jiffy or matter of urgency.
…Orunbon, write in from Oke-Posu, Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria
