Lack of social amenities: Group to engage Ogun State government
A Civil Society Organization known as The Campaign for Democratic and Community Rights (CDCR) held a stakeholders meeting with Area CDCs, artisans as well as youth groups to discuss on how to draw Ogun State government attention to problems facing their communities such as lack of good road and other social amenities.
The meeting which was held on Sunday, 14th of July, 2019 at The Community Hall, Matogbun was well attended by concern residents of the community.
Matogbun Area CDC chairman, Deacon O. M. Olapade while addressing the gathering applauded the initiator of the platform saying there has never be any group agitating for community development adding that the idea can go viral and beyond this level. He said organizations such as Gasline, Energo and National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) who are domiciled in the community should be engage positively in order to provide Community Social Responsibility (CSR) and to write to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to find out why they are not providing any CSR in the community.
“Nobody is making noise, nobody is democratically claiming any right because we are all gullible, we are all seen as block heads who don’t know left from right. As soon as this grows up, it will be a pivot for a new development in our time. Olapade asserted.”
Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, the initiator of the platform appreciate the level of support of the community saying community development can only be driven on the basis of the collective effort of all.
“It is not possible to achieve any progress on any issue that confront us today without mobilizing the people to put pressure either on the government or as Deacon Olapade has outlined, private enterprises that exist in this community who ought to add a community social responsibility to the community but which they have not been doing or they would have been doing it but have been falling into wrong hand.
“When we have Energo, if as Deacon has said, Energo is one of the biggest energy company in West Africa then we have to ask that why don’t we have the same level of CSR that we have in the regions of Niger Delta, where we also have oil companies who are domiciled in those areas. If we can have big institution like NAMA, which if we go by the law ought to have a regular CSR, why do we have this situation in this area? And these are some of the questions that we think that when we begin calling government attention to the crisis of underdevelopment we are facing in this area, these are some of the questions answers will be provided for. Because nobody or any group of people has ever made any real progress without struggle and what we bring for you today as member of Campaign for Democratic and Community Rights is an agenda of struggle. Soweto added.”
Comrade Kilani, a human right activist urged all members to contribute their quota to the growth and development of the platform and commended Comrade Soweto for coming up with the brilliant idea and also pledge his support.
Comrade Taiwo Olusegun, Ifo Zonal Youth Representative in his remark applauded Comrade Soweto for the initiative and Deacon O. M. Olapade for his presence saying his presence means they have the support of the community. He then admonished the initiator not to restrict the idea to community or to a political party.
