‘We lack basic amenities’ — Lagos youth forum laments neglect of community

The Oworo Youth Forum (OYF) has asked the Lagos government to fix the Oworonshoki community in the state.

In a statement by Seun Gbogboade, secretary of the forum, and Towolawi Jamiu, its publicity secretary, the youth group lamented the lack of basic amenities in the area.

The forum accused the state government of neglecting the area despite its “significant” population growth for more than a decade.

“To achieve ‘The Oworonshoki we want’, OYF, after different stakeholders meeting within the community have developed an action plan with priority areas including infrastructure (water, road, health and education, electricity), youth and women development, security & safety, and environment,” the forum said.

“Lack of potable water is a major challenge in the Oworonshoki community. Due to the terrain and closeness to the lagoon, it is difficult to get quality water in most parts of the community. The Lagos State Water Corporation has ceased supplying water to the community for over 8 months despite charging residents exorbitant water bills monthly for the irregular and often interrupted public water supply.

“An average house within this low-income populated community is billed between N22,000 to N35,000 monthly for the inconsistent supply of public water.

“The most common challenge experienced is that of lack of drainage channels along these roads, which exacerbates flood incidences.

“The public primary and secondary schools in Oworonshoki are in total shambles with decayed infrastructure. The only secondary school, Muslim College, is not sufficient for the population in the community.

“There are no decent and convenient markets in Oworonshoki. Also, excessive estimated billings, irregular supply of power, faulty transformers, or bad electric poles are some of the major issues the community faces with its power holding company.”

The forum added that the government must consult the community members to understand their immediate needs before going ahead with any developmental project in the area.

The group demanded that the state water corporation should restore uninterrupted water supply to the community immediately and stop the “crazy billing” system.

“Boreholes should be constructed to ease water supply problems in the community; local and state government to fix at least ten roads in Oworonshoki every year,” the forum stated.

“Construction of primary drainage channels to stop flooding in the community; Build a new public secondary school in Oworonshoki and carry our massive infrastructural upgrade of existing schools.

“Construction of innovative, modern but affordable market in Oworonshoki; stop estimated and crazy electricity billing system in Oworonshoki, provide free prepaid meters and increase power supply.

“For documentation, the compilation of all these issues in the community has been done into a book ‘The Oworonshoki we want — Action plan’, published in co-operation with Rethinking Cities and Heinrich BÖll Stiftung Abuja.”.