Shocking: Lagos Community With 1.2m Residents Has No Single Public School

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Mr. Femi Adebanjo, Member, House of Reps; Oba of Shasha and High Chief A.A Raufu at the event

It’s almost unbelievable that a thriving and major community in the metropolitan city of Lagos with the population of about 1.2 million residents have no single public school and other social infrastructure to show the presence of the Lagos State government.
The community is Orisunmibare, a bubbling neighbourhood close to Shasha, in Alimosho Local Lagos government area of Lagos State.

This revelation came to fore on Saturday at this year edition of annual Orisunmibare Day, usually celebrated in the community.
According to the residents, the population of children in the area are more than 70 percent and out of the number, only 20 percent have access to education.
The parents, P.M. EXPRESS gathered who can afford the cost, had to send their children to school in other nearby communities such as Idimu, Isheri Olofin, Shasha, Akowonjo Ejigbo, Ikotun that are several meters and miles away from the town.
Those parents who cannot afford the high cost of private schools in the area are forced to drop their children from school and send them to hawk in the streets such as pure water, clothes, beverages and among other items.
Apart from the fact that there is no single public school in the area, there is no other facilities to show government presence there.
The two facilities our correspondent saw within the community are the MTN mask and the health care centre which the residents reportedly built on their own and donated to the government without any single drugs inside it.
There is no amenities such as football field for youth development, recreational centers, libraries, Banks, police station and yet the community is in the centre of the Lagos metropolis.
While other areas close to it have those facilities, the residents lament, said the community has been abandoned and the residents have been suffering in silence after several appeal to the government and there was no response and they decided to live by their fate.
Meanwhile, the appeal to the State government was rekindled again after several years  on Saturday when the residents marked its day called Orisumbare Day.
The leader of the community, High Chief Akeeb Adebowole Raufu appealed to the government to remember the community and at least build a public school for the sake of their future.
He noted many children in the area had to drop out from school because their parents could not afford to train them in the private schools that thrive in the area.
On what could be responsible for the perceived neglect by the State government, P.M.EXPRESS gathered the land owners in the area have been accused of not creating space to attract government presence.
It was learnt the land owners and Omoniles conspired and sold every land to the extent there was no space or places map out for such development.
However, a top government official who did not want her name to be mentioned said if the government wants to come in, it means there will be massive demolition and recreation of the community to attract such development.
“Even in the past, the government wanted to embark on such development stride, the residents shouted and the government had to retrace its steps,” she disclosed.
It appears the residents now ready for the development and they are now appealing to the government to come in.

The women in the community at the event

This year edition of Orisunmbare Day attracted many dignitaries within and out of the community including the member representing Alimosho Federal Constituency, Mr. Femi Adebanjo, many illustrious sons and daughters of the community, traders and business people who had to shut their market and offices to attend it.