I begin to understand why it’s difficult to get responsible and respectable persons to be involved in governance but on the other hand know that we cannot afford to give up and need to continue to push. It is important to check a person's pedigree before we elect or nominate them to govern over us.

There is Idris Ogunlaja (aka Aloma)and from information about him. he ran a barber shop and was known for his aggression in the campus area. The Omonile family invited him from his single room on the Island to act as their agent to help sell land in the community.

Current day job for Mr Ogunlaja is as Lagos State civil servant with responsibility for administration of Car Tax.

Nigerian Police are usually eager to act as agent of harassment on payment of a fee. They were fearful to issue a letter of invitation since they know their action is in contravention of their command guidelines and the order of President Buhari on the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

I was never involved until security stationed on our street was removed (a service I was paying for and not receiving) and a relatively safe neighbourhood became one where we were robbed 3 times in about 6 months when we had never been robbed before. As a result, I attended the ICDA general meeting and offered to be of assistance in putting things in order. The idea was for me to help set up structures within 3-6 months and then take a back sit. I was made the General Secretary and the following ensued.

Leaders are not born but made. We all have our strengths which we may not be aware of until circumstances will compel them to manifest.

True but more importantly training.

janedonez:
Leaders are not born but made. We all have our strengths which we may not be aware of until circumstances will compel them to manifest.

I strongly disagree, this article is a lie, Aloma is the best ICDA chairman we had. He is commited to his work and very hardworking. The person that wrote this article are the kind of people we should be aware of. and secondly you should ask people in the community about idris ogunlaja and they will tell you this opposite.

You just registered today and this is your only post. The guilty they say are afraid.

Why did you hide your history or pedigree.

All we require is transparency and for him to issue statement of accounts for the 4 years that he has been the Chairman instead of writing petition to threaten people who request that he does so.

I am aware that he does have a group of hungry hyenas that he feeds, gives the regular or occasional 2k, 5k to and/or gives gutter / cleaning contracts to. Most of these persons are free loaders and are not fee paying in any case.

Those that are happy with Idris Ogunlaja let them stay with him and those that are not dont have to be in association with him.

bolayemi456:
I strongly disagree, this article is a lie, Aloma is the best ICDA chairman we had. He is commited to his work and very hardworking. The person that wrote this article are the kind of people we should be aware of. and secondly you should ask people in the community about idris ogunlaja and they will tell you this opposite.

*Estate Residents Can’t Be Compelled to Pay Dues; Court Rules*

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has delivered a landmark judgement that Nigerians who live in a residential estate cannot be compelled to be a member of the Community Development Association (CDA) popularly known as residents’ association of estate.

This decision of the Court has put an end to any future arbitrariness of resident associations in Nigeria.
By this decision, payment of dues is now voluntary and forcing residents to be members has now been declared unconstitutional.

Residents in Lagos State will no longer be subjected and compelled to pay outrageous membership dues and other levies.
The judgement was delivered on Friday, 25th of September, 2020, by Honorable Justice Oweibo, sitting at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

This suit *(FHC/L/CS/982/2020)* was filed by Megawatts Nigeria Ltd (Applicant) through its counsel Mr. Kayode Adeniji of Lawracles LP, against the Registered Trustees of Gbagada Phase II Residents’ Association and others as respondents.

Facts deposed to on court processes show that Gbagada Phase II Residents Association had been sending notices: requesting the payment of estate dues from 2017 to 2020 for sums ranging from 300 hundred thousand to 200 thousand naira annually, to Megawatts Nigeria Limited.

The position of the Residents Association is that since Megawatts Nig. Ltd is a company resident within the estate, it is bound to pay demanded dues and levies.

The position of megawatts on the other hand is that since it provides for its own security, waste management and other services the estate claims to be providing, it is not bound to pay dues. This is in addition to the fact that Megawatts is not a member of the association.

Megawatts further claimed that the estate security prevented its trucks from accessing the estate in order to compel and coerce the applicant to pay requested fees.

‘The primary issue before the court was whether a person; resident in an estate can be compelled and coerced into membership of a resident association?

The court ruled in favour of Megawatts Nig. Ltd and awarded cost against Gbagada Phase II Residents Association. The court further declared that no one can be forced to be a member of a residential association, be it a company operating within the space of the residential estate or a person who is a resident in that estate.

The court considered section 40 of the 1999 CFRN as Amended which states that:
“Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interest ....’’

In the light of the above and other matters, I have moved on.

School buses and cars get buried in front of the town hall during the raining season. The pedestrian walkway through the compound that have traditionally been kept open during this period someone has decided not to open. Even the Community Town Hall fence is compromised and getting weak. Some of us in the area have decided to come together and build a walkway and drainage and also protect the Community Hall fence.

We have requested that we bury our differences and all be part of this project and as a minimum for the ICDA to let us borrow the community metal plates to do the concrete casting, initially we were told it's not available but have said to them we will work around their timing/timetable. We are hopeful that they will come away from dealing with community property as if it is their personal property and instead focus on the greater good.