Itire-Ikate Digs Deep, Stands Tall Against the Rains!
When the sky darkened early this year and meteorologists warned that 2026 would bring heavier, longer rains than we have seen in years, the people of Itire-Ikate LCDA asked one quiet question: “Will our streets hold?”
Under the leadership of my principal, Hon. Oluwafemi Odunayo Daniel, Executive Chairman of Itire-Ikate LCDA, we chose to answer that question before the first drop fell. We chose action over anxiety. We chose prevention over panic. Today, I am pleased to present an appraisal of the work delivered so far, the challenges we are confronting, and the call to action every resident must heed if we are to win this seasonal battle together.
The Mission: Clear the Veins of Our Community
Drainage is the hidden circulatory system of any modern community. When it is blocked, the entire body suffers. That is why, as part of the administration’s flood mitigation and environmental sanitation drive, the Executive Chairman ordered a comprehensive desilting exercise across all flood-prone corridors within Itire-Ikate. The objective was simple yet profound: to restore the free flow of stormwater, prevent avoidable flooding, and protect public health.
Despite relentless rainfall that tried to undo the work as fast as we cleared it, our contractors, working under the supervision of the Environmental Department, executed the assignment with diligence and completed it within the expected timeframe. They also solved the complex problem of identifying safe, approved locations for the disposal of evacuated silt. This is governance in motion, governance that respects both the people and the environment.
Streets Delivered: The 16 Corridors Now Free of Choke
For the benefit of every resident, landlord, and stakeholder, I am pleased to spell out, clearly and completely, the streets and drainage channels where desilting has been completed and silt carted away:
1. *Ramoni Street*
2. *Temidire Street*
3. *Ashimowu Bakare Street (Canal)*
4. *Adegbola Street*
5. *Ogundoju Street*
6. *Olusesan Adetula Street*
7. *Alawode Street*
8. *Ogunmuyiwa Street*
9. *Sanusi Street*
10. *Ajia Street*
11. *Adeboyejo Street*
12. *Zamba Street*
13. *Odubiyi Street*
14. *Oredola Street*
15. *Akanji Street*
16. *Jinadu Street*
These are not just names on a report. They are neighbourhoods where families can now sleep easier when the rain drums on their rooftops. They are roads where okada riders no longer risk drowning in potholes filled with floodwater. They are the result of a Chairman who believes that good governance must be felt, not just heard.
The Battles Behind the Breakthrough
Great work is never done in a vacuum. Our teams faced formidable challenges that would have discouraged a lesser administration:
1. Security Threats from Hoodlums
Whenever it became necessary to lift concrete slabs covering some drainage channels, miscreants threatened and obstructed our workers. They saw public infrastructure as an opportunity for extortion. Yet our workers, protected by the resolve of the Chairman and the support of security agencies, pressed on. Because a slab that hides filth also hides danger.
2. Indiscriminate Waste and Human Waste Disposal
Perhaps the most painful challenge is human behaviour. Some residents continue to discharge fecal waste directly into drainage channels. Others dump household refuse, plastics, and debris into gutters. This does more than block water. It creates a public health time bomb. Stagnant, waste-filled water breeds mosquitoes, bacteria, and parasites. It can lead to cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea, and skin infections. One clogged gutter can send a child to the hospital. This is why environmental sanitation is not a “government matter.” It is a matter of life and death.
3. Construction Materials Blocking Waterways
Some building contractors, in their haste, have turned drainage channels into storage spaces for sand, gravel, and blocks. When the rain comes, those materials become dams. Water, like truth, will always find a way. If it cannot go down the drain, it will go through your living room.
4. The Rain Itself
Ironically, the very reason for the work became its greatest obstacle. Frequent downpours meant that excavated silt sometimes slipped back into channels before it could dry for evacuation. Yet our contractors adapted, worked in shifts, and ensured that every street on the list was delivered.
A Chairman’s Commitment, A People’s Responsibility
Hon. Oluwafemi Daniel Odunayo has shown, through this exercise, what pragmatic leadership looks like. He does not govern from a distance. He inspects. He questions. He ensures that contractors do not just “do work,” but do the _right_ work. His administration’s achievements in infrastructure, youth empowerment, education support, and healthcare are all connected by one thread: a genuine passion for the welfare of the people.
But the Chairman cannot do it alone. Government can clear the gutters, but only the people can keep them clear. This is why I am using this medium to make a passionate appeal:
1. Residents: Stop dumping waste into drains. Bag your refuse and use approved disposal points. The health of your family depends on it.
2. Landlords & Developers: Do not block channels with building materials. Obtain approval before covering any drainage slab. Your project is not worth another person’s flooded home.
3. Community Leaders & Youth: Help us sensitize your neighbours. Report illegal dumping. Protect our workers as they protect you.
Conclusion: The Work Continues, The Rain Will Not Win
The desilting exercise has been completed across the identified locations. But the rainy season is not over, and neither is our work. New phases are being planned because Chairman Odunayo believes that a flood-free Itire-Ikate is not a seasonal slogan. It is a permanent promise.
As I write this, the sound of rain is not a threat in the 16 streets listed above. It is a blessing. And that blessing is only possible because a leader chose to prepare, and because workers chose to persevere.
Let us all choose to cooperate. For the good of our council. For the health of our children. For the future of Itire-Ikate.
A drier, healthier, more prosperous Itire-Ikate is within reach. Let us reach for it together!
PST LEO OFFOR
Chief Press Secretary to
Hon. Oluwafemi Odunayo Daniel
Executive Chairman, Itire-Ikate LCDA
Office of the Executive Chairman, Itire-Ikate LCDA
