OBALENDE is a densely populated neighbourhood of Lagos, located on Lagos Island. The area houses many important federal government edifices such as former seat of the Federal Military Government, the Dodan Barracks, before its relocation to Abuja.

Kem Salem House, which was the former Police Headquarters, The Holy Child College, St Gregory’s College, Police Barracks among many others are also located in Obalende.

Over the years, Obalende has assumed the status of a highly sociable neighbourhood dogged by brothels harbouring women of easy virtues and miscreants.

For those who are familiar with the area, it is a place with a very deep and rich history and a famous place because of its suya, special barbecued meat usually prepared by Nigerians of Northern extraction.

Recently, the Lagos State government, determined to turn around the degrading physical structures in the area commenced regeneration of Obalende and its environs.

The project include upgrading of the roads with inter-locking stones, organised motor parks, road beautification and others.
Quality of life

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State during an inspection to the area sometime ago said that the transformation of Obalende is a multi-pronged and multi-solution intervention to regenerate business and quality of life in the axis.

Fashola stated.”By regenerating the area, we can bring back visitors to come and experience the ambience night life of Obalende once again. If you look around, many of the properties have been devalued simply because the place has become disorganized.

“This is part of what we are trying to do. This place will be lit up at night. We have seen what the Ministry of Environment is doing about all the drainage channels that have been overtaken by development. You can also see human intervention conscripting the drainage channel. So, all of this is part of what we are going to solve.”

He gave an indication that his government was going to redesign the area which was once a location of a major bus terminus to make it more user-friendly.

“From here we are about 100 metres from the famous Kam Salem House, which was the first Police Headquarters in Nigeria. It is a multi-pronged solution we are working on. St Gregory College road has lost its ability to connect people from Awolowo Road onto the Third Mainland. All of that will come back,” the governor assured.

He noted that the intervention would bring a lot of relief to people who live in the area and to those who do business there, when completed.

“There is a famous hospital around this corner. I don’t know how they could have fared having made that kind of investment with the degradation that we have seen here. I am sure all of these businesses will come back to life as soon as this intervention is completed.

“We should also hopefully see a more conducive environment to train children in St Gregory’s College and breed the next generation of leaders. We are hopeful that the intervention will have a multi- faceted benefit across the sectors of the Lagos economy,” Fashola said.

Decaying faeces everywhere

A physical examination of the neighbourhood by Vanguard however revealed that an epidemic which may not wait for the state government to complete its turn-around plans may be waiting to break out.

This is as a result of indiscriminate open defecation in and around the once beautiful environment.
“You can hardly walk around this area without covering your nose as a result of the stench coming from the decaying human wastes dotting the surroundings.

‘’The entire area is smelly and if nothing is done fast, you won’t need an expert to predict possible disease outbreak,” Mr Tijani Owolabi, a cab driver told Vanguard.

Another concerned citizen, Mr. Abiodun Ayinde, who works on Keffi Street, said, “Despite the location of the Dodan Barracks and a Police Barracks in the vicinity, the people just squat and pass faeces indiscriminately even in the day light without any challenge from government environmental agents.

“Though, the mess is being done mostly in the night, what are the Kick Against Indiscipline officials doing to arrest the situation.?
‘’This act must be checked forthwith by the relevant agencies before Lagosians start contracting another deadly disease in the state.”
Our correspondent, who visited the area saw both fresh and decaying human wastes almost everywhere.

Apart from miscreants and nomads that take refuge in the area, unlike other parts of Lagos Island, human wastes have taken over Obalende, especially the canal under the flyover bridge.