SOME residents of Ilaje Road in the Bariga area of Lagos State, on Wednesday, July 30, staged a peaceful protest against the recent renaming of the road after music legend, King Sunny Ade (KSA), by the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Recall that the dust raised by a similar renaming of Charly Boy bus stopn on the Gbagada expressway to Olamide Baddo bus stop has yet to settle and has attracted criticism.
The protesters included community members, who described the renaming, which was approved by the immediate past LCDA chairman, David Kolade Alabi, close to the end of his tenure, despite earlier opposition from resident, as a disregard for their heritage and an attempt to erase their cultural identity.
Addressing the protesters, the Baale of Ilaje/Bariga, High Chief Kayode Ayetiwa, said the new Chairperson of the LCDA, Bukola Adedeji, had called him ahead of the protest to appeal for patience, promising to reverse the decision.
Ayetiwa stated that the name, Ilaje Road, had been in existence since 1948 and represented an important part of the community’s history and identity, noting: “We will not allow the legacy and name of Ilaje Road to be erased, no matter how prominent the individual chosen for the renaming may be.”
During the protest, the community submitted a formal petition to the council, describing Alabi’s
The community’s protest letter described the former action as unconstitutional and undertaken without the consent of local councillors.
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