THE NATION MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
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CITYBEATS Council donates school to community By Risikat Ramoni
Seven communities in Tarqwa bay Island and its environs have got a new secondary school, courtesy of the Local Government. The communities’ children will, henceforth, attend the local government junior secondary school, a faculty, which was hitherto lacking. The communities are Abagbo, Tarqwa Bay, Okun-ayo, Store, Kate, Ebute-oko and Ogogoro. Children in the community complete their primary education in Epiphany Anglican primary school as well as other privately-owned private school without having a secondary school to go. This has made many children to be drop-outs, while others only attend school across the lagoon thrice a week. The school, whose construction was started in March, was handed over to the Lagos State Ministry of education on Wednesday in Tarqwa bay in the presence of both the community as well as the LCDA officials. During the handing over ceremony, the Chairman of Iru Victoria Island Local Council Development Association, Hon. Abayomi Daramola, said that the School will be of immense benefit to the resident. "Children and wards often travel a long distance to access education. This School will save the community from losing their children in a boat mishap," said the council Chairman. Daramola said the building, which is made of 10 classrooms and restrooms, has in each class, furniture, electricity, magnetic board, fans, bulbs, a terrazon floor and an aluminum window and door in all classrooms amongst other facilities in a modern school. He appreciated the community for donating the land to the government. On the construction of a Senior Secondary School, Daramola said the LCDA will liaise with the State government to build a Senior School for the children so as to save them from various risks. Tutor General/ permanent secretary of education district III, Mrs Wonuola Idris, noted that the School, situated in Tarqwa bay will both save lives as well as encourage more people to embrace education. She enjoined other councils to take education more seriously by making it as one of the most important item in their budget.
A paradise lost •Continued from page 31
come deplorable because the canoe operators have converted them to passenger walk ways. It was originally meant for the outflow of floodwater into the creek. Yusuf explained that several efforts to stop the illegal activity was resisted by the canoe operators who live in Ajegunle. "On several occasions, our residents have been attacked in their homes, along these crossing points," he said. He listed as another black spot the road linking Boundary (another slum community), the GRA and the Oluwole Market. He said the bridge, the market and the crossing points were mostly responsible for the infiltrations into the estate, adding that their existence has turned the GRA into a thoroughfare. Yusuf said: "Over 150,000 people use the GRA as a thoroughfare daily. The bridge and the crossing points brought about the need for commercial buses, okada and Keke Marwa operators in the estate." A resident said many who would have come to the estate are not willing to move in because of the activities
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The entry points had become deplorable because the canoe operators have converted them to passenger walk ways
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of Danfo drivers and Okada riders on one hand, and the upsurge in robbery in the area, on the other." "This situation is most worrisome at the Waterside end of Oskar Ibru Way because of the illegal motor park there and the Oluwole Market," the resident said. The residents are appealing to the state government to pay the same attention given to Victoria Island and Ikoyi Residents Association (VIIRA), to Apapa GRA. They requested that the Apapa GRA be severed from Ajegunle, by the creek, saying: "The bridge and the crossing point should be sealed completely." They asked that the market within GRA be relocated. "The bus terminal and all the okada points should be removed from the GRA. Apapa GRA is like Magodo GRA with just two entrances. "Entrances into Apapa GRA were originally planned to be from two ends of Liverpool Road, but due to the heavy commercial activities in Apapa, Liverpool Road can hardly be controlled. “Therefore, we wish to reduce the entrance from Liverpool Road into the GRA to just three. We intend to retain Marine Road for residents' use only, while we leave Park Lane and Point Road for non-residents that are coming into the GRA," they said. The hope of redeeming the lost glory of Apapa is not lost. The government is working to arrest the chaotic traffic on Apapa-Oshodi Express- Way. Tanker drivers, who are the major culprits of the traffic jam have been told to move their vehicles. The government has also mobilised contractors to fix the roads. Apart from the government’s efforts, the residents too have been making efforts trying to find solutions to the problem. Last year, the Ibru family rehabilitated the Oskar Ibru Way, the longest road in Apapa and also constructed the alluring Elsie Michael Ibru Roundabout.
•Top and Bottom: Different faces of dilapidated infrastructure at Apapa PHOTO: KUNLE AKINRINADE
Club restates commitment to the less and striving for HE President, Rotary privileged eration peace,” he said. Club of Ikeja, Philip
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Aderemi Babarinde, has said the club will ensure the execution of projects that will benefit the needy. According to him, the needy must not be forgotten
•Anozie decorating Babarinsa
1. Fire and Safety Services Control Room Phone Nos: 01-7944929; 080-33235892; 080-33235890; 08023321770; 080-56374036.
2. Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Lagos Zonal Command Phone No: 080-77690200; 01-7742771 Sector Commander Phone No: 080-776909201; 01-2881304 FRSC Emergency No: 070-022553772
By Wale Adepoju
because they are part of the society and as such must be properly integrated. Babarinde, who spoke during his installation as the 25" president of the club, said he would imbibe the philosophy of Rotary, which is Service above self, adding that emphasis would be placed on family, the hub of the society. He said he would live’ up to the theme for the calendar year, ‘Reach within to embrace humanity’ add-ing that what we wish for ourselves is what others wish for themselves too. Babarinde said there would be continuity of laudable projects embarked upon by his predecessor, Mrs Anozie, adding that those protests would be taken to the next level. “We must continue our work for cleaner and safer water, mitigate diseases and illnesses, Reach spread literacy, work within to with and for embrace the new gen- humanity
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He promised to be a change agent, adding that: “We should start by being the change we wish to see in the world. If we wish for peace and end to polio or any other disease, if we wish environmental degrada-tion to stop, if we wish to reduce child mortality, to spread literacy or to prevent hunger, we must be the instrument of the change and recognise that it must start with us.” Babarinde said he would execute projects estimated at N3.35million, saying his tenure would be measured by the number of needy that would be touched with projects executed. He advised: “Let us reach within to embrace humanity, let us pro-mote peace, harmony and friend-ship. Let us bring positive change to ourselves, the community, our nation and the world at large.” A former President, Mrs Anozie, described her tenure as eventful. She said she still relishes her tenure with the theme, building communities and bridging continents.
767 or email: rapidresponsesquad@yahoo.com 6. Health Services – LASAMBUS Ambulance Services Phone Nos: 01-4979844; 01-4979866; 01-4979899; 01-4979888; 01-2637853-4; 080-33057916; 080-33051918-9; 080-29000003-5.