Women in Arepo, Ogun State, have called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently address challenges affecting their welfare, education, healthcare and trading activities, saying the community needs practical government intervention rather than promises.
The women made the appeal during a Women Radio 91.7 FM, Voice of Women programme held in Arepo.
The Iyalode of Arepo Town, Chief Mrs. Durojaye, appealed to the governor to channel available government resources towards supporting women in the community.
She said the women of Arepo had consistently shown their commitment whenever they were called upon to participate in community activities and development.
“There is nowhere I call the women of Arepo to that they will not go,” Durojaye said, stressing that the commitment of the women should attract meaningful support from the government.
The women leader appealed to the governor to provide palliatives for the women either monthly or annually to help them cope with economic challenges.
According to her, regular palliatives would provide relief for women who struggle to meet their responsibilities and support their families. She urged the state government to consider the welfare of women as an important part of its development agenda.
Also speaking, the Arepo women leader, Madam Ibinabo Dixon, expressed concern over what she described as repeated promises by politicians that had yet to translate into tangible benefits for residents. Dixon said the people had continued to wait for government interventions in critical areas of community development.
She particularly identified education as one of the major challenges confronting families in Arepo. According to her, the community does not have a government secondary school, forcing parents who cannot afford private education to send their children to schools located far away from the community.
Dixon warned that the situation could contribute to the denial of education to children from less privileged homes. She therefore appealed to Governor Abiodun to build a standard government secondary school in Arepo to make education more accessible and affordable to residents.
She also called for improved healthcare services in the community, saying Arepo needed a functional healthcare facility capable of providing basic medical services to residents. She urged the government to treat healthcare and education as urgent needs because of their direct impact on the wellbeing and future of the people.
On her part , Chief Mrs. Kudirat Ashaolu appealed to the Ogun State Government to provide a public toilet for traders and other users of the market.
She acknowledged the community provision of water but said the absence of toilet facilities remained a major challenge that required attention.
The women appealed to Governor Abiodun to attend to the needs of Arepo before leaving office, stressing that government support would improve their livelihoods and the living conditions of residents.
They called for concrete action on palliatives, education, healthcare and market infrastructure, saying the community was ready to work with the government to achieve meaningful development.