The inauguration today, of the Liverpool Zone 1, Satellite Town, community development association ( CDA) executives has once again raised the issue of the role these CDAs play in the development of the various communities in Lagos.
CDAs were created to serve as platform for communities to be involved in the conception and execution of project relevant to their communities
They were also to serve as a strata of governments across the country to promote necessary collaborative efforts and strategies for effective community oriented development initiatives. In Lagos there are now over 3900 of such CDAs spread across the 22 LCDAs.
So that is why when the Liverpool Zone 1 CDA executives under the leadership of Governor Imitini was inaugurated today, the Oriade Local Community Development Association (OLCDA) requested them to come up with projects in their area that the Lagos state government can identify with and assist in their execution.
In the face of allegations that some CDAs in Lagos were not using their resources effectively, Mr Olusegun Amure, who represented the OLCDA chairlady Mrs Ramota Akinola Hassan charged the Liverpool CDA executive to partner with the state government to develop the state and use their resources judiciously.
The question was however raised as to the level of involvement of the CDAs in the decision making process in community projects and their implementation embarked upon by the Lagos State government.
Imitini who responded on behalf of the Liverpool CDA, while pledging its readiness to partner with the state government to develop Lagos, said the association has embarked on several projects and called on the OLCDA and the Lagos State government to come to its assistance in their execution.
He drew the attention of the government to the on-going community agitation for Container terminals to be moved from the area as they pose grave threat to the wellbeing of the community. He also talked about the perennial drainage problem arising from the citing of tank farms in the area, which he said had been given five years to move from the area, because the area is residential and not industrial.
The CDA, he further noted has created a security outfit to see to the security of that community and called for the state government to extend the services of Neighborhood Watch outfit to partner with the community security personnel to adequately secure the environment.
