Save us from pollution, sea incursion, community begs Ondo

The people of Ugboland in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have alleged the neglect of the oil producing community, which is suffering from oil exploration and debilitating effects of sea incursion.

They stated this at the inauguration of the Molute/Jinrinwo Development Trust on Sunday.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Kelly Nomiye, said the level of neglect had reached a painful threshold.

He pointed out that multiple ecological effects of oil exploration and exploitation in Ilaje communities had made life extremely difficult for the people.

Nomiye stated, “We are experiencing the worst of destruction of aquatic lives and its effects on fish farming and destruction of farmlands; we are also experiencing the worst of death and maternal mortality as a result of the lack of health care.

“We are experiencing the worst of ignorance and barbaric behaviour as a result of lack of school. We are experiencing the worst of water borne diseases as a result of lack of potable water.

“We are experiencing the worst of poverty as a result of unemployment. For so long, we have experienced marginalisation and rejection.”

In his remarks, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, said the community needed the presence of government to save the riverside areas from being completely submerged by the ocean.

“We have been calling on the government, but there is no response from the federal and state governments, and there is nothing that traditional rulers can do. It is high time the government gave traditional rulers a role, because if you talk too much, they will say they want to remove the Oba,” he said

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