In this piece, SUBAIR MOHAMMED brings to the fore the travails of a half a million residents of a century-old community in Lagos State.
WITH about half a million population, Otumara community at the heart of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area could pass for a major town elsewhere because of its number as well as prominent people it has produced, including music star, Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, popularly known as Patoranking, Super Eagles’ Marcus Ayomide Abraham and fast-rising comedian, Hilarious Chinedu. But the community, despite having been in existence for more than 100 years and a major vote source for the ruling establishment in the state, has remained a glorified slum in Lagos, which prides itself as the centre of excellence.
When Saturday Tribune visited the community, the word to describe the daily existence of the residents is squalid. Little wonder those who are able to find ways out of the squalor that defines the environment quickly move out to better areas, according to findings. A case in point is that of Okorie who reportedly moved out immediately he hit the limelight and returned about three years ago to move his parents out of the slum, bidding a final goodbye to the environment that shaped him.
But Patoranking is just one success story out of many youngsters in the community that are not making much headway because of official neglect of the area, culminating in lack of social amenities like good drainage, with the attendant flood problem and absence of senior secondary school for the teeming youths to attend.
The traditional head of the community, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, told Saturday Tribune about how the senior secondary school project in the community, whose foundation was laid by the first civilian governor of the state, the late Lateef Jakande, about 38 year ago, has not been touched by successive administrations. He lamented that the non-availability of a secondary school had forced youths in his community to turn to crime, particularly cultism, since many of them could not afford to attend the closest senior secondary school at Surulere, a journey of many kilometers from their homes at Otumara.
Inside Otumara
Despite being surrounded by flourishing communities, Otumara is a community of impoverished people who engage in petty trading and side hustle to earn a decent living.
On Fatiregun Street are lines food vendors, confectioners and pastry chefs who attend to primary school pupils who find their way through the water-logged community to get to their schools.
Walking through the stagnant water and filth that spread across the community is one experience a first-time visitor wouldn’t want a repeat of, as unpleasant smell oozes from the drainage and lagoon that borders the community.
Next to the office of the traditional head of the community is the security post he built for officials of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps as part of his contributions to the attainment of a safe and secure community.
Despite the obvious official neglect and the below-poverty line existence of the people, Otumara dwellers have not ceased being hopeful that the luck that shone on Patoranking and others in the community will soon fall on them as well.
Our children are endangered —CDA chairman
One of the elders in the community, the Chief Asoju of Otumara, Pa Ephraim Eromosele, lamented lack of access road, saying the swampy condition of the community had deprived residents a good life, particularly during the rainy season.
He said: “We are appealing to the ministry of environment to come to our aid to clear all blocked drainages in the community. This has affected the life and the economy of residents in negative ways. We have seen officials of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG) of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources clearing blocked drainages and lagoon across the state, why can’t they replicate same here in Otumara?
“The manner in which filth and refuse litter the community poses a great danger to the overall health of residents in the community. It has left our homes flooded and our children exposed to ill-health. I am appealing to the agency to extend the clearing efforts to the silt and drainages in Otumara community.”
Adding his voice, the chairman of Otumara Community Development Association, Mr Ishola Abass, said: “Over the years, flooding has been a major problem in our community. We are now in the rainy season, we are begging the government and its agency to step in and ensure that property and lives are secured. We want the government to evacuate the lagoon and all adjoining drainages to avoid a disastrous consequence on human health and environment.
“We also want the government to build blocks of senior secondary school for us in the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area because our children are exposed to lot of dangers and accident on their way to school in Surulere but if we can have our own here, there won’t be any need for them to journey that far.
“Our traditional head and the CDA are trying to ensure that the community is safe for all to live in, but we need the Lagos State government to complement our efforts towards achieving a safer and cleaner environment in Otumara community.”
Community, not govt, delaying the school project —Lagos govt
Reacting, the state government said it was ready to build the school as promised by the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo- Olu, and had indeed made efforts to execute the project, but the controversy over the appropriate location to build the school was delaying the project.
The head of the public affairs unit of the state Ministry of Education, Mr Ganiu Lawal, confirmed to Saturday Tribune that government officials some time ago visited a particular location in the community which was shown to them by the Oba of the community, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye. “But it appears that the people of the community prefer market to school as they had already turned the place to a market. So, once there is an appropriate location which the community wants the school to be sited, work will commence. So, it is the community, and not the government, that is delaying the project,” Lawal said.
Also, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, accused the community of being “very uncooperative” with the government.
He said teams from the Ministry of Education and the Surveyor- General’s Office had visited the community but the land they earmarked for the school had been turned to a market and the government asked them to provide an alternative but they had refused to provide one.
“They are saying the government should come and build a primary school there, and the government is saying ha ha, what do you mean? We want to build a senior secondary school, we can’t use a primary school, it’s not going to work.
“Then among them, there is infighting; there are factions. Some people say that it is market that they want, they don’t want school. Unfortunately, those who don’t want school are in the majority.
“So, the alternative they are giving is not conducive. The government now told them, ‘You go and agree. Once you are ready, you call us, we would come and do it for you. It is in our plan, it is no problem for us, but you go and agree among yourselves’. So, the problem is not our problem.
“And then the young people there have been very violent. Whenever they hear that people from the Ministry of Education are coming, they start mobilising against them. So, they have not been able to provide an alternative and the community leaders are divided.
“There was a day the governor mentioned the matter at the exco meeting. The place is part of the government’s Urban Regeneration Project. There is a massive plan to rebuild the place as part of our Urban Regeneration Programme. It comprises drainage work and roads. The state government is thinking of a complete facelift for the place.”
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