SPOTLIGHT ON IKOSI –KETU RESIDENTIAL AREA IN KOSOFE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF LAGOS
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Ife Adewole
Ikosi –Ketu is a major town in Kosofe Local Government, it is an ancient town founded in 1939; Ikosi is bordered by two major highways; Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Lagos-Ikorodu road which makes it easily accessible to other parts of Lagos.
Ikosi is mainly a residential area that can be divided into two sections, the Government Residential Area – GRA, which shares boundary with Magodo GRA. The Centre for Management Development, CMD, TV Continental; a television station and Radio Continental 102.3 are major landmarks in Ikosi GRA.
Like most GRA, Ikosi GRA has a serene environment with lots of beautiful structures. The presence of private security guards, decent roads and giant gates makes Ikosi GRA truly for the privileged. The GRA is also subdivided into Phase 1 to 4 with giant gates differentiating one phase from the other.
The other section of Ikosi residential area can best be referred to as ‘Government Forgotten Area’, GFA, this is basically because of its many developmental issues such as non-availability of health centre, bad roads, dilapidated buildings, poor police presence, absence of recreational centres, building of shops over drainage channels, indiscriminate parking of cars, traders displaying wares on roads and presence of social miscreants to mention a few of the anti-social behaviours rampant in the area.
Hotjist.com gathered, that Ikosi has no befitting health centre that can cater for the needs of the residents of such a highly populous neighbourhood.
In a tour visit to Ikosi, several dilapidated building were seen in the area; a mud building that has bulged out and at the point of collapsing was seen at Balogun Oyero Street. The street is nothing but a hideout for miscreants, thugs and possibly an undercover for the guys of the underworld.
Oyero Street can best be described as the worst street in Ikosi with lots of cracked buildings, worst road and hooligans. Residents complained that the hooligans openly smoke indian hemp and several other illicit drugs. They fear that the children living around can also take up these vices if not checked immediately.
Also, along Ikosi road, very close to the Ikosi –Isheri Local Council Development Area, LCDA is a dilapidated two storey building. The cracked pillars supporting the building was obviously seen, though Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA has marked the building for demolition, yet people still reside in the building, transactions are still on going by traders whose stores are in the building that can best be regarded as an awaiting disaster.
Indiscriminate parking of cars has been a major source of traffic congestion along Ikosi Road and Jimoh Balogun Street, this is done mostly by commercial bus drivers, who most times wait at every junction to drop or pick passengers without considering other road users. Private car owners are also guilty of this behaviour as they leave their cars on the narrow road for as long as they wish without any reprimands.
Lots of road side traders has defaced the beauty of Ikosi road, right from Iyana-Ikosi bus-stop along Lagos Ibadan expressway down to Ketu bus-stop along Ikorodu road, the presence of road side traders with their goods displayed on walkways and drainage channels are devastating. Same goes for Jimoh Balogun Street, Love-All Street, Moshood Street and Aladelola Street. On Moshood Street and Jimoh Balogun streets, shops were constructed around electricity poles and this poses grave danger to lives and property.
The traffic congestion on Ikosi Road and Jimoh Balogun street has created fertile ground for social miscreants, who rob members of the public during the dark hours of the day. The roads mentioned are also meant to decongest Ikorodu road and the 7Up Toll Gate axis of traffic hold-up but rather; they contribute to the gridlock.
The right time for the Lagos State Government to remember the ancient town of Ikosi in Kosofe Local Government area is now, if nothing is done to put an end to all these challenges as soon as possible, lives of Lagosians living in Ikosi area will be endangered.
For instance, the ruptured buildings in that area can collapse any moment, which will result to loss of lives and properties. The bad roads should be repaired and the Nigerian Police are enjoined to switch their attention to Balogun Oyero Street, Jimoh Balogun Street, Moshood Street and other streets in Ikosi that are dominated by hooligans.
Most importantly, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority; LASTMA, the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Public Works Bureau, Ikosi-Isheri LCDA and Ikeja Electric Distribution Company should immediately check all the infractions highlighted and appropriate penalties meted out on recalcitrant offenders.
In the same vein, Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency, LASPARK and state Ministry of Health, should consider it necessary to construct at least a recreational centre and appropriate health centre respectively for the mammoth crowd residing in Ikosi – Ketu Lagos.
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