By Lanre Adesanya
Piqued by an alleged attempt of a particular Social Club House situated in the heart of the Federal Low Cost Housing Estate, Abesan mosan, Mosan-Okunola LCDA to move an existing borehole supposedly serving the people within the community to another location to give way for a road construction,contrary to their will, community leaders have urged concerned authorities to forestall what could snowball into a communal clash.
According to a source within the community said, a social Club named De-Zenate Club of Nigeria intend to relocate illegally, a borehole sunked as a Federal Government project for the community to another place.
In a chat with newsmen on the development, the chairman of the Community Development Association, Mr. Adewale Adepoju disclosed that the club leader had officially notified the community of the proposed relocation intent.
He hinted that the borehole was situated at its present location and had served the whole community for over thirty years before the club emerged there.
“We have our master plan and the road they are planning to construct along that area is illegal, we assisted them in creating a road to the entrance of their club, why now cause pain for the community by removing the water tank that serves all”. He explained.
Chairman Federal CDC, Alhaji. Moshood Ogunrobi noted that the community need the urgent intervention of the ministry to avoid clash between the two parties.
“The Federal Ministry of work should intervene urgently as this will cause serious problem to us, when the major water tank went bad, we know what we went through to get our representative to help fix the new on that serves everyone one”. He noted.
“They as a club has not made meaningful Impact to the Estate in anyway, and now the only water source for the community they want to relocate, this is not going down well with us as residents and community leaders”. He added.
Some auto engineers who occupied a fraction of the land in question has also called on the federal housing authority and ministry of works to caution the club not to go beyond its boundary as the water tanks are useful in the community.
“We remember when they were building their club house the water tank in question served them well till it was completed, we bath, use the water for our work and we have been guiding this area so that any illegality will not take place, why do they want to use power over us now to displace us and also put the community in pains. They said.
An on spot visit to the said club however revealed a twist to the story, as the President of the Club, Alhaji Shamsudeen Awopeju the Apagunpote of Egbaland, gave a vivid account of what transpired prior to their move.
According to the Egba chief, their intention were purely driven by the need to conform with the laid down master plan of the area, which clearly affords the space for an access route, now encroached by some structures which could have been better placed without infringements.
“De-Zenate Club is a social club, where we occupied is a federal government land, it was allocated to us and the area is a well laid out environment, so every houses here has an access to their properties.
“We were about the fifth or sixth to purchase this land, we have resolved to even bear the cost for the shifting of the water facility just to allow peace to reign in this environment as in time past.
“We once had a resolution at a meeting held here with community leaders and the need for the access route was tabled before them”. Awopeju said.
Prince Nojeem Gbadebo, the social secretary of the club, a town planner by profession further gave insight into the whole issue.
“Erroneously a small borehole was sunk in the Senatorial District by he Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority on the proposed road as designed by the federal ministry of works and housing back then.
“We want to create a road through which members of the club can have access to the club,these is because we don’t want to disturb other adjoining streets in the neighbourhood which have gates that are always under lock and key by 10pm daily.
“So we feel when we have an access through the propose road there won’t be any disturbance or quarrel with any neighbour, that is the main reason why we want to open up the road, which is already a proposed road as designed by the federal government.
“The major water works here has been abandoned for the past 25 years, so the smaller one constructed is 1000 litres, that serves the community so we intend to move it about four metres, where it would be permanently located and continue to serve the community without disturbing anybody.
“We intend to also resuscitate the water facility in case of any hitch while it is being shifted, the proposed road will also be an added advantage to the community, an alternative route to other adjoining streets.” he narrated.