… As Lawmaker Akinruntan moves motion to save Ayetoro, others
The Ondo State House Of Assembly has challenged the United Nations, World Bank, the Federal Government as well as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to immediate deploy modern technology to rescue Ayetoro and other communities that are being submerged by ocean surge in Ilaje local government area of the state.
The Assembly gave the charge at plenary sitting in Akure after adopting a motion of urgent public importance on the need to save Ayetoro from being wiped off by ocean surge, which was moved by the lawmaker representing Ilaje constituency 1, Hon (Prince) Abayomi Akinruntan.
Addressing the House plenary presided by the speaker, Rt Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, the Ilaje lawmaker, said people in the affected communities had lost valuables worth billions of naira and were currently displaced from their homes.
Report says more than 5,000 inhabitants of Ayetoro and its environs had been displaced by the sea incursion that had been ravaging the area for many years without concrete actions to rescue the communities.
Other communities in Ilaje affected by the ocean surge, are; Gbagira, Odofado, Mese and Awoye.
Moving the motion, Akinruntan who looked visibly disturbed with the plight of his affected constituents, appealed passionately to both the national and international relevant agencies to adopt the right modern technology to tackle the people of oil-rich Ilaje area.
The lawmaker also appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to speed up distribution of relief materials to the victims.
Akinruntan said, “It’s being a reoccurring problem and we seek a lasting solution before the entire homes of my people at the constituency in Ilaje Ugbo, the oil bearing communities in Ondo State is wipe away.
“I feel agencies like NDDC, UN, NEMA, and others need to explore with proper study by experts and deploy same with best and latest technology for a solution to ocean surge in the Ilaje communities.
“But presently immediate settlement plan is require for the people of the affected areas aside the regular relief materials that should be given to them,” Akinruntan said.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the State Assembly, Bamidele Oleyelogun said the Ondo state government alone could no longer manage the situation at Ayetoro and others, as the surge has now become an annual occurrence and resources consuming.
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