Barely few weeks after the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Community Affairs on an oversight visit to the Division slammed some local government and local council development bosses over what it called poor performance, another organization has also rated some of the Ikorodu council bosses poor in performance.
The latest performance rating is a product of a three year performance public poll result, sponsored by the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement- IDYIM, an Ikorodu based independent youth organization, with membership drawn from all the six LG/LCDAs in the division.
The council chairmen were rated based on their performances in six key areas namely, Security, Education, Health, Youth Development, Good Governance and Accountability / Stewardship as revealed in the poll result which covers a period of three years, between 2017-2020.
Presenting the final poll result to the public, on its public Whatsapp Group Platform on Friday 9th April, Samosn Bisiriyu, Executive Director of IDYIM and Sola Sokoya, Director of Administration and BOT Secretary, in their opening remarks maintained that there was no pressure from any quarter before, during and after the exercise.
The duo insisted that they ‘carried out this assessment as members of the Office of the Citizens and the poll result were not meant to witch-hunt any of the council Chairmen. They stated that the exercise was purely a voluntary service for the community by establishing a feedback communication channel between the political office holders and the electorates.
Surprisingly, Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA that was recently praised by the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu during the commissioning of the new council secretariat emerged the poorest of the six councils in terms of performance. Respondents rated the Chairman 86% poor in Education, 81% poor in Security, 95% poor in Good Governance, 95% poor in Accountability / Stewardship, 95% Poor in Youth Development and 75% poor on Health.
In the report, Ikorodu West LCDA was rated second poorest of the six councils with respondents rating the Chairman 65% poor in Education, 56% poor in Security, 51% poor in Good Governance, 55% poor in Accountability / Stewardship, 41% Poor in Youth Development while it scored 52% Fair on Health.
Similarly, Ikorodu North LCDA emerged the third poorest performing of the six councils. Respondents rated the Chairman 63% poor in Education, 73% poor in Security, 80% poor in Good Governance, 79% poor in Accountability / Stewardship, 71% poor in Youth Development and 71% poor on Health.
Meanwhile, Ijede LCDA emerged the best performing LCDA from the six councils rated in the poll. Respondents rated the Chairman 52% good in Education, 44% Fair in Security, 35% Good in Good Governance, 41% Fair in Accountability / Stewardship, 41% Good in Youth Development and 47% Fair on Health.
Ikorodu Local Government however emerged the ‘second best’ rated among the local council areas with the following ratings by the respondents; 34% Good in Education, 39% Good in Security, 40% Good in Good Governance, 50% Fair in Accountability / Stewardship, 43% Good in Youth Development and 39% Good on Health.
Imota LCDA trailed Ikorodu local government from behind, by coming overall third performing LCDA in the Division. Respondents rated the council as follows; 39% Good in Education, 29% Fair in Security, 34% Good in Good Governance, 32% Fair in Accountability / Stewardship, 31% Good in Youth Development and 35% Good on Health.
It is instructive to note that none of the six Ikorodu council bosses scored a pass in Excellent and Very Good categories of the rating.
Sola added that, ‘the poll is just a clarion call to our serving chiefs to hear the opinion and desires of the people they are leading. It is aimed to serve as a self examination test on how far each of the chairmen/chairperson has fared in delivering dividends of democracy to the electorates’.
Earlier, the presenters disclosed that the exercise was divided into two phases. The first phase was an online survey form which was targeted at the strata of the society that are well lettered and in tune with the use of modern simple technology. This was done with the aid of the Google form. The second phase was an on the field exercise where questionnaires were distributed to the respondents. This was directed at the informal strata of the society to ensure that artisans and market men and women were not left behind, while assistance was rendered to those who were not were lettered in filling the questionnaires.
On methodology, the group stated that qualitative method was adopted for the survey. Under the qualitative survey method, a Closed-ended Questionnaire totaling 500 questionnaires were distributed to the target audience in each of the six LG/LCDAs The target audience include residents from various age groups which includes, market men/women, artisans, students and civil servants. The close ended questionnaire was also supplemented with the online questionnaire and interviews conducted with the various council Chairmen. Data were presented using pie chart and bar charts. Furthermore, simple percentage analysis was used to analyze the data, and findings presented below.
In conclusion, the group insisted that, ‘as concerned youth organization, our commitment to the division’s development remains paramount in the light of the growing decline in good governance at the grassroots’.
Meanwhile, Special Adviser on Media to the Executive Chairman of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, Mr Shakiru Seidu has however contested the poll result. He demanded that the opinion poll be put to questioning for more justice to be done to it.
In his defense, he queried how Igbogbo-Baiyeku which was the only council with a functional Joint Security Task Force in Ikorodu Division with about 50 personnel on its payroll, with operations power bikes performed poorly on Security?
On Education, he also wondered why a Council that constructed class rooms in 2 different schools, fenced 3 schools and provides full scholarship for tertiary students in need could score that percentage. On Health sector, he contested the polls result on the basis that the Council built new PHC at Bayeku and provides free drugs on monthly basis, including PHC at Ibeshe.
Despite series of questions and oppositionsto the poll result, the IDYIM have maintained that it did its due diligence before, during and after the exercise.
It added that, in order to give the council Chairmen a fair hearing, letters were written to the six of them to hear them out on the poll result before it was presented to the public but, only three out of the six of them obliged.
Chairman of the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement Board of Trustees, Dr Abiodun Fatai-Abatan has equally thrown his weight behind the polls result, stating that the BOT scrutinized the document before it was presented to the public last Friday. He stated this in an exclusive chat with Ikorodu Oga Radio whose Founder / CEO was one of the moderators during the presentation.
‘The BOT is in full support of what the IDYIM has done. It is a reflection of what the people are saying. It is not aimed to hoodwink anybody. We need to encourage the culture of effective engagement and asking questions from public office holders and putting them on their toes for the good of the democratic practice. We commend the young men and women for their efforts at improving the lot of our local council areas’, he said.
With the release of the poll result coming few months to the end of the chairmen’s tenure and in the light of the forthcoming local council election in the state, the poll result is still expected to generate more reactions from other council chairmen in the division in the days ahead.
Details of the poll result are as presented below;
Ikorodu West LCDA Result
There’s need to appreciate the team for a wonderful and unbiased Public opinion poll exercise.
The results will in no small measure help to guide our political leaders on the need to serve the people and not the selected few or be self centered.
It will equally guide our political praise singers because the bid for a second term is on. Above all, it will open the sense of reasoning of the ectorates such that they will shine their eyes and be guided on who to elect when it’s time to make a choice.
Thank you for a job well done.
Really appreciate your feedback. Your suggestions are noted.
A great job in bringing the voices of the governed to the ears of the government, otherwise deafened by corruption. Kudos to the Ikorodu Youth Movement.