A Lagos based human rights organisation, the Save Lagos Group (SLG) has faulted Lagos State Government for being in the habit of dishonouring agreement reached with it on the welfare of the residents of the state.

The group stated its position on the decision of the state government to meet with it regarding the petition it wrote to it on Oshodi main market, particularly Wuraola plaza.

According to Convener of the Group, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman, the state government through Ministry of The Environment has failed to properly ensure that activities in the affected market conform with relevant laws regulating cleanliness of market environment in the state.

According to Sulaiman, Save Lagos Group has made efforts aimed at ensuring that the state government curbed incessant activities of some unscrupulous individuals who convert public toilets to shops but such efforts have not yielded any fruits.

“We have written severally to the state government on the issue of ensuring proper sanitation in the affected market but we regret to note that the state government has not yielded to our requests over time. We are pointing attention of the general public to the environmental issues that might arise but owners of such facilities are not listening to us.”

Sulaiman also said the group was tired of what he termed unnecessary meetings and social talk with representatives of the state government whom he accused of usually calling the group for meeting without implementing the outcome of such meetings.

“The first meeting we had with the state government was on the 27th of January 2011 when we met the then officials of the state government led by the then Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye regarding the functionality of the various councils across the state.

“At the end of the meeting, we were assured that efforts would be made to ensure that the various councils adhere strictly to the provisions of the Fourth Schedule, Part 1, Section 7 of FRN 1999 Constitution (as amended). Up till now, the various councils have been flouting the provisions with impunity.

He stated that the state government has also refused to implement the agreement it (the Save Lagos Group) had with it on the need ensure clean learning environment for school children in the state.

Sulaiman particularly named United African Methodist Church (UAMC), Salvation Primary School both in Igbogbo part of Ikorodu and Alaworo Saint Michael I&2 Primary School in Ojo as examples of the dilapidated nature of educational infrastructure in the state.

“When we saw the problem, we drew the attention of the Ministries of The Environment and Education to it. We wrote them, they called us for a meeting and they (state government officials) promised to effect a change but up till now, we have not seen any change. The meeting took place on Tuesday 14th of April, 2015 after one year when we submitted our letter of complaint to them.”

The group also flayed the state government for reneging on its pledge in a letter to it dated 7th November, 2016 signed by one Kola Aileru on behalf of Chief of Staff to the Governor to repair the dilapidated roads in Igbogbo areas of the state.

Sulaiman listed the roads where rehabilitation ought to take place to include Igbogbo-Awesu; Orere-Abosan; Offin-Oreta; including roads in Bayeku, Ebute, Adamo-Araromi communities.

“Up till now, the commitment of the state government still remains in the realm of promises as nothing has since been done to actualize their promises on these roads that have brought untold hardship of the residents of the affected areas.”

According to him, the group has expressed its resolve not to attend any meeting at the instance of the state government until its officials implement the outcomes of the earlier ones it (the group) had with it.

“We will not attend the meeting being put together by the Ministry of The Environment slated for Wednesday 17th of May 2017", he said.