Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Residents of Progressive GRA, Gaa Imam along ITC, Ilorin, Kwara State capital, have commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, over the stoppage of Asphalt plant works and relocation of the outfit outside the community.
The residents said, the development would go a long way to restoring peace and health development of the residents as the presence of the plant in the area had for long been wreaking health hazards on them.
The residents, in a letter jointly signed by their Chairman and Secretary, Pastor Kenny Ojedele and Mrs Rita Otitoloju, to the state government stated that the action of the governor restored normalcy in the community and saved them from possible deaths.
They further said the present administration demonstrated a complete show of human kindness even as it also corrected the deadly action taken by the last administration in wrongly locating Asphalt plant in their community.
The letter states thus: “Residents of Gaa Imam GRA, along ITC Ilorin, heartily commended the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration of Kwara State for coming to our aid by stopping the works of Asphalt plant wrongly located in our community.
“About two years to the end of the immediate past administration of former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, we only woke up one morning with deep shock and embarrassment and found the Asphalt plant working right in our community.
“Throughout the period the Asphalt plant worked, residents’ health was in serious jeopardy, with the disturbing machine noise and the emiting dark smoke from the engines that used to cover everywhere so much that residents used to shut their windows.
“No one could stay outside whenever the Asphalt plant works, neither could clothes or anything be left outside. Vehicles and the entire lands are often covered with dark smoke.
“Consequently, residents started going to hospital with the complaints of nose, throat and lung irritation resulting in coughing, wheezing/shortness of breath associated with headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting mainly due to asphalt plant operating in our community . The negative effects were so much that many tenants and even landlords were forced to relocate from the area.
“These sad development was brought to the attention of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration,when it was birthed and the governor ordered immediate stoppage of work of the Asphalt plant in our community. For us,this was a great relief and a very heartwarming decision that could only come from someone, who is sympathetic to the plight of fellow human being.
“Since then, about two years ago, we have been living peacefully in our community and in view of this, we therefore commend the governor for his listening ears and show of love for the people.
“For us, nowhere in the whole world is Asphalt plant located right in the midst of a community, where people reside. So, we stand with Governor AbdulRazaq for ensuring that the plant does not operate in our community again, thereby correcting the deadly mistake made by the last administration in the state.”
