FLOOD: HOMELESS ILAJE/ESE-ODO PEOPLE NEED GOVERNMENT HELP,NOT PROPAGANDA-Hon Akinjo Kolade Victor MHR
Ondo State thereby threatening lives and causing destruction of properties in hundreds of houses across these communities, a federal lawmaker, Hon Victor Kolade Akinjo has demanded urgent government’s intervention.
In the wake of the environmental disaster, communities in Ilaje and Ese Odo local government areas of the state that formed the federal constituency of the lawmaker were mostly affected, rendering thousands of inhabitants homeless and stranded.
Against this backdrop, the lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Kolade Akinjo stressed the need for the Ondo State Government to urgently put in place palliative measures to ease the sufferings of the affected people in the affected communities of the federal constituency and the state at large.
Hon akinjo also advised NDDC and OSOPADEC as well as the state emergency management agency to be more alive to their responsibilities by making sure to alleviate government-imposed poverty, dearth of infrastructure and sufferings in their mandate areas.
While some part of the Okitipupa and Irele local government areas were also affected, the communities affected in the two local governments making the federal constituency were Igbokoda, Itebukunmi, Igbolomi, Mahintedo, Ugbotu, Igbekebo, Sabome, Igbobini, Ilu Agbo, Ojuala Inikorogha, Oboro and Ipoke.
Visibly unhappy Akinjo said the sad occurrence was as a result of negligence by both the state and federal intervention agencies in putting in place critical plans that would attend to the unending effects of flood, occasioned by ocean surge and torrential rains in the area.
He lamented years of neglect and undeserved mistreatment of the people in the oil-rich part of the South West, which has over the years become an eyesore that demands urgent attention.
In his words, Akinjo strongly noted that “In a world where robbing Peter to pay Paul has become a culture, government at all levels must in actual fact rise up beyond the politics of propaganda.
“And deploy necessary mercenaries to undo the damages done over these years by mandating designated agencies saddled with the responsibility of attending to the welfare of these mandate areas to stem situations that could disrupt not only governance but also truncate the livelihood of our ever industrious and peace loving people.
He reminded the state government of the benefits inherent in the oil producing areas, that literally provides an incontrovertible source of meaningful revenue to state coffers which is why it behoves government to prioritise taking care of the area.
Hon Kolade Akinjo advised all concerned to look beyond political inclinations and attend to the unpleasant situation caused by years of government inaction which has led to the displacement of innocent people, who have done no wrong but belong to an area largely marginalised by government despite huge exploration and exploitation of their God-given natural resources.
Some of these parts affected are seen to be as a result of oil exploration activities and annual flooding and all stakeholders will have to come together to find lasting solution to these devastating scourge.
- It is pertinent to note that the recent confrontation with the House committee on NDDC over abandonment of projects in the area by Hon Akinjo has resulted in ongoing investigation which facilitated inspection and evaluation tour of areas affected by members of the committee for possible completion of the said projects.