Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has appealed to the All Progressives Congress 2027 governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to intervene in the rehabilitation of the abandoned Iju Water Works to address persistent water shortages in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.
Salako-Oyedele made the appeal on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting with Adeola, who visited the local government, where she highlighted the area’s infrastructure challenges, particularly the absence of functional public water supply.
The deputy governor expressed concern that residents of Ado-Odo/Ota lacked access to pipe-borne water, urging the senator to help revive the water facility so households could enjoy a reliable supply.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, there is no house in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area that has pipe-borne water. Am I right? Does anybody have pipe-borne water?” she asked, with residents confirming her observation.
She explained that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources had made several attempts to obtain institutional funding for the rehabilitation project, but the efforts had yet to yield the desired results.
“Each time they come, they go and get some institutional funding, and then something happens and it never gets done at the federal level,” she said.
Appealing directly to Adeola, she urged him to consider the project as part of efforts to improve access to basic amenities in the area.
“Please help us look at it. Rehabilitation of Iju Water Works and water, so that our children can know that they can turn the tap and water will flow. We appreciate you looking at that for us,” she said.
The deputy governor also drew attention to the rapid population growth in Ado-Odo/Ota, saying the local government had recorded more than 40,000 new voter registrations within the year.
“The population growth in our local government is exponential. This year alone, we have registered over 40,000 new members to vote. 40,000 new people to vote,” she said.
She said the figures reflected the growing number of people moving into the area, noting that the increase in population would place additional pressure on existing infrastructure and public services.
“So you can imagine the number of people that have moved into this place because each person represents a family, or at least two of them represent a family.
“So that is probably a population growth of a couple of hundred thousand,” she added.
Beyond water supply, Salako-Oyedele called for the development of modern housing estates to accommodate the expanding population and improve living conditions.
“We need modern housing estates in this local government,” she said.
She acknowledged projects executed by the Ogun State Government in the area but maintained that further interventions were necessary to address its growing infrastructure and housing needs.
Iju Water Works, located in Ogun State, is a major water treatment facility with a long history of supplying water to parts of Lagos.
The facility was established in 1910 and has undergone several expansions over the years to increase its production capacity.
The facility’s importance to water supply in the region makes its rehabilitation a significant infrastructure concern, particularly for communities around Ado-Odo/Ota.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West Senatorial District in the Senate, emerged as the APC’s consensus candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.
He previously represented Lagos West in the Senate between 2015 and 2023 before moving to Ogun West.
His emergence as the ruling party’s candidate has placed him in the spotlight ahead of the 2027 election, with infrastructure, development and public service delivery expected to feature prominently in engagements with residents across the state.
