Badiya residents in Lagos want basic infrastructure

Some residents of Aworetan Village, Railway Line, Badiya East, Apapa-Iganmu Local Government Area of Lagos State, had urged the state government to provide basic infrastructure for them.They said that they have been living in a deplorable condition for more than 38 years.Badiya is one of the many notable slums in the Lagos metropolis.Chief Olatunde Aworetan, son of the Baale of Badiya, said that the community had no access to good road, electricity and health care, adding that their children were schooling in an inconducive environment.``Our community has been in existence since 1973 when the Federal Government relocated us from the National Theatre area to this place.'In spite of the promises by the state government to develop this area, nothing had been done.``The government has a master plan for this place, yet it has not made it habitable for over 25,000 residents,'' Aworetan said.He said that the dilapidated primary school in the community was built during the Alhaji Lateef Jakande's administration, adding that subsequent administrations had failed to maintain it or build another one.In his comment, Mr Joseph Ayelesan, secretary of the community, said it was regrettable that people could be allowed to build makeshift houses on the only drainage channel in the area.``When it rained the whole area is flooded because people built on the waterways.'If nothing is done to assist us, I am afraid, many of us will be washed away by flood.``The only primary school the community could boast of has been taken over by flood because of the poor drainage system,'' he said.Ayelesan called on the state government to build a modern health care centre, repair the primary school and build a new secondary school in the area.Mrs Abiye Oshindele, another resident, decried the deplorable state of the community, urging the state government to come to their rescue.``Majority of us are petty traders and without electricity, we cannot operate our businesses.``We need a transformer so that we can stop the use of generator which had contributed to incessant fire accidents in the community,'' she said.Oshindele also called on the state government to construct access roads that would link the community with other areas within the council area.
Click here to read full news..