By Emmanuel Elebeke

The residents of Festac Town in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area can presently afford to heave a sigh of relief courtesy of an interventionist plan conceived by the chairman of the council, Mr Ayodele Adewale to give the place a facelift. Speaking with Vanguard Metro, Mr Adewale said his effort in this regard would not only transform the aesthetic of the federal estate, but also boost its economic power.

He said that his administration would give its best to ensure that the people reap the full dividends of democracy.

Adewale who spoke on his administration’s performance, said that a new blue print for a new LG secretariat, with a four-star hotel, had been concluded and sent to the state Urban and Regional Planning Ministry for approval. According to him, the project, expected to kick-off in about a month’s time if the state government gives its approval, will commence with an inroad from the expressway in line with the master plan of the area. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months and would be funded and constructed by Julius Berger. It will also be run by Julius Berger for 25 years, while the local government will have one of the eight floors as its office complex before fully taking over from the construction company.

The new blueprint for the Festac environment, according the LG boss, is part of his plan to cushion the choking effect of over population there. Apart from the new edifice, he added that residents would also enjoy better access roads, potable water, quality health care, quality education, clean environment and security.

To save the people from flooding and epidemics, he said his administration embarked upon palliative works to fix most of the roads in Festac Town which were impassable, on assumption of office before the commencement full work with local capacity and personnel.

His administration, he said, had completed a total of 14 roads in Festac Town, and regretted that the Federal Government had not been paying enough attention to its property nationwide, even when capacity in the estate had been overstretched by over population.

“We de-silting drainages in Festac which had not been done for over 25 years with backhoe excavators. If you look at 3rd Avenue, the gutter is about 13 feet deep and 10 feet wide, and this took us about six months back-to-back everyday. The drainage opposite our LG secretariat which is about 10-feet in deep and four feet wide was also emptied.”

On three planting, he revealed that the administration had planted over 40,000 trees to cover those failed for collapsing the drainages.

On hygiene, he said new toilets were designed in areas when it became a worrisome issue, especially in schools.

On security, he said that the relative peace and security being enjoyed by the residents of the area was a product of a partnership between the state and local governments in equipping the security personnel with modern equipment.

He also promised to maintain a transparent and open government that would be accountable to the people.