Surulere Council Boss Commissions Road, Drainage Projects

Tajudeen Ajide-Yussuf, Chairman, Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos, has commissioned the rehabilitated Shitta Roundabout and the drainage around it.

Dignitaries at the brief ceremony held last weekend included council officials, party faithfuls, councillors and the Chief Imam of the Abdulwahab Folawiyo Central Mosque, Ali Olukayode Atanda, Chief Imam of Beleke Smith Mosque, Abdulakeem Mobolaji Johnson and the Chairman, League of Imams in Surulere, Imam Jato.

Ajide-Yussuf said the project showed his administration’s responsiveness to the plight of community dwellers and motorists on the hitherto bad road.

“This is the heart of Surulere connecting different parts of the council area. We would have failed in our responsibilities to the electorate if we neglected mounting complaints over the previous state the road. The road resurfacing and the reconstruction of the drainages will end the flooding of the area and save drive time on the road,” the chairman said.

Also, Atanda, the Chief Imam, said the rehabilitation work would relieve community dwellers of the hardship usually faced during rainy seasons.

“We thank God that the chairman came to our aid because this area was always flooded whenever it rained due to blocked drainage and the deteriorated state of the road. It was so bad that it became very difficult for us to observe prayers at the Central Mosque,” the Muslim cleric said.

Abayomi Balogun, chairman of Community Development Committee in Surulere, said hitherto the road was always clogging traffic for motorists driving towards Aderinogun, National Stadium and Masha areas.

“The Chairman has done very well by attending to this road. If it is possible for him to run for a third term, I would lead the crusade for it. We just recently commissioned a road in Small London on Alhaji Thani street, also Oyekan street has been reconstructed with paving stones and same for Ogunlana Street. The council is currently rebuilding the Magistrate’s Court at Benson, schools with dilapidated roofing sheets are being re-roofed while he (the chairman) is also making efforts at rehabilitating some places at Ojuelegba and Tejuosho. He is a star performer,” he said.

Fatima Ayodele, a resident who operates a shop at Shitta, said: “We had lost patronage due to the bad state of the road because our customers would not step into the smelly puddle to buy our wares. So we are very excited that businesses around her have been given a new lease of life.

Two other residents, Iyabode Oloyede and Ahmed Awoyemi, re-echoed earlier comments.

Awoyemi added that he was one of numerous beneficiaries of a vocational centre the chairman established at the Falolu, located in the council area.