By Banji Ayoola
The coastal Ilaje people living along the Atlantic coastal peninsula of Ondo State have made a fervent appeal to the federal, state and local governments to urgently come to their aid before the ravaging sea sweeps them out of existence.
The people made the appeal during an on the spot assessment of the level of damage that perennial sea incursions have done to the communities by the Committee put in place by Ilaje Development Summit Group, IDSG.
This was contained in a statement by the IDSG Media/Engagement executive, Prince Bolu Ajijo.
IDSG is a citizens led Civil Society Organization CSO put in place by the Ilaje intelligentsia across the world and from all walks of lives to partner all concerned to help drive the socioeconomic development agenda of the Ilaje local government area in a more coordinated and structured format.
The visit by the delegates, including experts and journalists, was informed by the November 14 sudden early morning ocean surge that reportedly sacked over 2,000 inhabitants of Ayetoro community from their homes and destroyed properties estimated at about N2 billion in its wake.
It said that the people have almost lost hope in the system due to the devastating effects of the perennial ravaging sea incursions on their communities such as Abereke, Ayetoro and Awoye thriving sea port because of what they term a deliberate neglect of their areas and lack of basic social amenities.
According to the statement: “They called on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ecological Fund Office, Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, OSOPADEC, international donor agencies and organisations like UNEC to come to their aid.”
Describing the people as resilient and hard working, it regretted that the ravaging sea surges have made nonsense of their living and hard labour leaving most families in penury after destroying their main source of living from time immemorial.
It said: “Recounting their horrible experiences in the hands of their once friendly neighbor- the sea, the people of Abereke, the committee’s first place of call, said they have moved their initial traditional home more than three times.
“According to them, Abereke, a once thriving fishing port where people come from the states and countries as far as Akwa Ibom in Nigeria and Togo to eke a living, was more than a kilometre away from the sea coast.
“While lamenting their harrowing experience and seeming helplessness of their situation, the inhabitants of Abereke appealed for urgent help from all stakeholders to come to their aid.
“The situation at Aiyetoro, famous for its thriving communal living is worst. Aiyetoro literally means the world at peace is now at war with the Sea as it has dealt a devastating blow on its social infrastructure leaving the people gasping for breath.
“According to the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Micah Olaseni Ajijo, the Ogeloyinbo of Aiyetoro, the sea has eaten over three quarters of the community leaving just a parcel of lineal settlement.
“Oba Ajijo who described the situation as devastating called for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to address the ugly situation.
“Although Oba Ajijo, a former diplomat and employee of ECOWAS and African Development Bank, ADFB, frowned at the insensitivity of the International Oil companies operating in the Niger Delta Region to the plights of host communities, called on the Federal and the State Governments to probe the failed Aiyetoro Sea Shore Embarkment/Protection put at over N7 billion.
“According to him, the project awarded as far back as 2004 and re awarded in 2008 could have saved the community from the ugly situation if the project had been executed. He also appealed for the reactivation of the project with the help of international organisations.”
It said the community spokesman, Prince Victor Akinluwa also echoed a similar view and called on all stakeholders in development agenda to urgently come to the assistance of Aiyetoro community to safe it from imminent extinction.
It said: “According to him, due to the Ocean surge that has destroyed almost all the houses along the coast line the population density of the community has increase from an average of five person per house hold to about 30 painting the scenario of prevailing lack of basic needs like foods and medics.
He called for urgent humanitarian assistance in order to mitigate the suffering of the inhabitants of Aiyetoro who were once a very self reliance people.
The situation at Owoye a thriving fishing Sea Port close Escavor on Forcados River in Delta State is not very different from that of Abereke and Aiyetoro they earlier visited in the day in not worse..
The Baale of Owoye Chief Happeness Abiye said his people have been subjected to untold hardship as a results on incessant ocean surge and and called for urgent attention to their plights.
Speaking to the press after the tour the chairman of the Committee, Primate Afolabi Aboyewa, said the essence of the visit was to have first hand knowledge of the level of the impact of the surge on the communities along the coast and the immediate remedial needs of the inhabitants and document same the attention of IDSG.
The Executive Administrator of IDSG Rev Sola Adebawo in an audiovisual message said IDSG as a citizens led organization cannot felt indifference to the of the ilajes living along the coast following the reported carnage the perennial ocean surge wrath on livelihood of our people and we are obliged to intervene in order to bring succour to our people. According to what we need right is not blame game but help which must come urgently from all stakeholders, Federal, State and Local governments including international organizations and donor agencies adding that IDSG is ever ready to drive the process.
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