Gloryland: The story of an abandoned community in Lagos state

Gloryland, a Community of over 10,000 people located at Isheri-Olofin in Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Authority LCDA, Lagos State, South West,  Nigeria could be said to be a State within Lagos State going by the fact that residents of this community have neither experienced government’s presence or benefited from its social responsibilities.

This is despite several appeals to successive administrations in the State, as every visible infrastructure in the community was put in place via communal efforts and individual commitments.

The residents have continued to express displeasure on what they described as deliberate neglect of the community by the Lagos State government.

Speaking to journalists recently at the venue of the Community Development Association CDA election, the outgoing chairman of Gloryland CDA,  Mr. Olumide Adewale lamented the Lagos State government’s neglect of the community.

“We have made several appeals to governments at the two levels in the State but they never bother about the community but they come into the community for all leviable taxes and rates which of course, we pay.  Both State and local government come here to collect taxes and rates from residents, yet, we never felt their presence in any area of social responsibilities even after several appeals through correspondences and visits.”

“Go round the community, all the drainages,

  motorable roads, electric transformers, water supplies were provided by residents of the community without any government input,  yet, we fulfilled our obligatory responsibilities in terms of payment of taxes and rates to governments both at State and local government levels.”

“Erosion has become a major challenge to us in this area, our roads have been washed away several times by erosion,  these are the roads we graded and made motorable for our use that were washed away. If not for the community efforts which put up palliative measure to put the erosion in check, may be we would have recorded a major disaster in the community when we would have been washed away by erosion which would then generate global attention, I’m sure by then the Lagos State government will come and do something to save those that will remain, ” Adewale lamented.

“Do you know this particular road will save people of Baruwa,  Jakande, Gowon Estate and environs the stress of going to Egbeda before connecting Lasu-Iba road to Badagry and other areas in that axis. This road,  if attended to and made functional,  it will decongest traffic along Egbeda-Idimu road and if opening up link roads remain the priority of Ambode’s administration, then, this community’s road should no longer be ignored.

Adewale added: “Do you know with the population of well over 10,000 the community and the entire Isheri-Olofin can boast of only one public primary school thereby subjecting the little children to avoidable hardship on daily basis.

“The community have just committed another N5million in January this year to prepare for the rains because of the bad roads within the community,” the elderly resident stated.

The newly elected executive members include, the Vice chairman,  Andrew Osaghe,  Secretary, Humph Olanrewaju,  Treasurer,  Wale Abioye,  Social Secretary,  Collins Obasi, Financial Secretary, Samson Ogundare and the PRO,  Olusola Fashina.                                          Below is the community road: