GOV FASHOLA, SAVE US AT SOBA TOWN

By NBF News

The recent transformation taking place in Lagos State under the able leadership of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, has been attracting commendation from various quarters within and outside the country.

Equally, Lagos State has been enjoying relative peace as security has greatly improved.

While we laud Governor Fashola over his revolutionary achievements, the residents and community leaders in Soba Town in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the state wish to draw his attention to an unfolding ugly development in our area which could result in serious breach of law and order.

Generally speaking, our people are law-abiding, and we see ourselves as patriotic partners to the state Chief Executive Officer in his goal of turning Lagos State into real centre of excellence.

Sir, having exhausted various channels to reach you and we were frustrated, we were left with no other option than to cry out to you through this medium to use your good office to intervene by saving us from one Agbebiyi who has been parading himself as the Baale of Soba Town in defiance of an order from the Amuwo Odofin Local Government.

Before this man woke up one day to start flaunting a letter purportedly issued to him as Baale of Soba Town by the state government, what we have in place was a Regency Council which has been overseeing the day-to-day affairs in the community. The Regency Council was set up sequel to the death of the former holder of the office, Chief Sakiru Olanrewaju Fakeye. The Regency Council was set up by Amuwo Odofin Local Government with the approval of Lagos State Government.

When Soba community leaders took up the matter with officials of Lagos State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Amuwo Odofin Local Government, they denied ever giving any letter to Agbebiyi. They further promised to call him to order. But to our dismay, several months after state and local government officials promised to censure Agbebiyi, we have not seen any sign to show that he has been cautioned.

He has now grown bolder and has been busy proclaiming himself as Baale all over the place. He has also been threatening to deal with all of us. He has now gone a step further by telling us not to waste our time as he and all top shots of the Action Congress, AC, in Lagos State are friends. He told us openly that having worked for AC during last general elections, it wouldn't be too much if he becomes the Baale of Soba Town.

Sir, we are constrained to reach you through this medium because of the bureaucratic bottleneck that posed a serious obstacle to our efforts as a community to seek audience with you. As a well known apostle of rule of law, and as a leader who believes in due process, we want you to intervene by taking action to help us restore normalcy to Soba Town.

We have a Regency Council duly set up by government that is already in place, but this council's functions are being usurped by one man who is claiming to be above the law. We have been restraining our restive youths from taking laws into their hands simply because we don't want anarchy in our community.

Sir, you are the only one that can rescue us, please intervene now. We have no personal grudge or score to settle with Agbebiyi other than that he should be ordered to follow the due process. There are processes that are to be followed before any Baale can be appointed. It is an aberration for one man to just wake up one day and started parading himself as the community leader.

*Adamson Taiwo and Taibi Adigun wrote from Soba in Amuwo Odofin