ONDO FLOODING UPDATE: Ekimogun Roundtable Probes N250 Million Erosion Control Funds
The Ekimogun Roundtable, a notable socioeconomic group of Ondo indigenes from both home and abroad, has revealed it is investigating the allocation and utilization of N250 million intended for erosion control in Ondo East and West Federal Constituency.
This announcement followed the recent severe flooding that affected parts of the constituency over the weekend. The group said “the incident could have been averted following substantial funds being allocated for erosion management.”
The group, in a document released to the press on Monday, outlined how significant sums of money had been budgeted for erosion control projects over the last few years. These projects, aimed at providing relief and preventing flooding in erosion-prone areas, were supposed to safeguard the community from disasters like the one that struck over the weekend. However, the Roundtable raised questions about the line-items including wether there were properly executed or not.
The Ekimogun Roundtable said that “the major question here is wether there is community engagement required for necessary needs and impact assements before such projects were inserted in the appropriatelion Act.
In a functional representative democracy, any representative with the best interests of their constituency would have ensured these funds were released and used effectively to prevent such disasters.
“Given the tragic flooding in Ondo and the budgeted funds for erosion control projects by the Federal Government, any responsive representative with genuine concern for their people would not be defending falsehoods by claiming ignorance of such critical projects.”
According to a record of errosion control constituency projects for Ondo East/West Federal Costituncy released to the public on monday, the group claimed that various projects spanning from 2020 to 2023 were budgeted for, yet the the whereabouts of these line items and actual impact on the community appears to be unknown. These projects include:
-Erosion control works at Odo Jomu and Ayeyemi, budgeted at ₦40 million in 2020.
-Flood and erosion control works at Igbo-Oja and Itanla GRA, ₦25 million budgeted in 2021.
-Erosion control at Saluwa and Orimolade, ₦30 million budgeted in 2021.
-Flood control at Itanla GRA, ₦27.4 million budgeted in 2022.
-Youth and women empowerment programs through environmental waste management, ₦45.7 million in 2022.
-A climate-smart waste recycling facility in Ondo, ₦10 million budgeted in 2022.
-Slum upgrading and road rehabilitation at Ateru Road, with ₦80 million allocated in 2023.
In response to the probe, some aides of the current representative of the constituency claimed that not all the projects were sponsored or initiated by the representative. The Ekimogun Roundtable, however, rejected this defence, asserting that it is nearly impossible for a project to be nominated for a constituency without the full knowledge and oversight of the representative.
The group emphasised that the representative of the Ondo East/West Federal Constituency is mandated by the constitution to oversee and monitor all matters concerning the constituency in the National Assembly, making it irresponsible to claim ignorance of projects budgeted for the constituency as an elected lawmaker representing the constituency.
“If unknown individuals are nominating constituency projects without proper consultation or oversight by the representative, then there are serious representative lapses. Such an excuse points either to prolonged absence from duty or a lack of genuine interest in the well-being of the constituency,” the group noted.
The Ekimogun Roundtable, however, urged the representative to provide a comprehensive report detailing the financial and procurement status of all constituency projects projects allocated to the constituency for the years under review.
