Ondo youth protest 10 years of darkness, unbearable living
Young people have taken to the streets to protest 10 years without electricity in South Senatorial District of Ondo State, lamenting neglect and marginalization by the state government. The youths, under the aegis of Ilaje Advancement Forum (IAF), were at Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of the state , chanting "Ko […]
Young people have taken to the streets to protest 10 years without electricity in South Senatorial District of Ondo State, lamenting neglect and marginalization by the state government.
The youths, under the aegis of Ilaje Advancement Forum (IAF), were at Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of the state , chanting "Ko sina, ko sibo," meaning, "No light, no election."
It led to traffic gridlock in the town, and the market said to be one of the largest in West Africa, was almost shut down, while economic activities were paralyzed for several hours as the youths armed with placards embarked on peaceful procession.
The placards read: "Ilaje: enough is enough;" What offence has Ilaje people committed;" "Ondo State government has failed us;" OSOPADEC is fake," NDDC is fraud;" The Federal Government has failed in service delivery," "Our leaders are rogues;" "No light, no election" among others.
The co-convener of the Forum, Tokunbo Ehinmowo, decried the deplorable state of the riverine area, declaring that the Ilaje nation, despite its huge natural resources and contribution to the country’s GDP, is suffering neglect.
"Ilaje people must intervene in the process of Ilaje development, rather than remain spectators or passive participants in the ebb and failure of governance in the state."
She lamented that there are dearth of industries, factories, prevalence of infrastructural decay, environmental degradation, poor empowerment programmes, attributing it to failure of their representatives at all levels.
"For the past ten years, there has not been electricity in all our communities; and this has meted untold hardship on us. The artisans can no longer work, businesses are collapsing and life has become so unbearable for us."
Another member of the group, Oluwajuwon Ogunbiyi, stressed that the crux of the protest was to demand "renegotiation of social contract between the government and the people of Ilaje Local Government Area.
"We are the local government producing the largest chunk of money to the Federal Government through our oil resources. We surrender everything we have for the government under social contract to take care of us."
Ogunbiyi stated that the recent Amnesty Program by FG was fraught with reports of fraud, revealing that projects initiated by Ondo State Oil Producing Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were abandoned.
He added further that over N6b Ayetoro Shoreline Protection project and other intervention funds by government agencies were allegedly embezzled by their leaders.
The Yeye Oge of Igbokoda, Mrs Stella Odunnuga and Mr Adekunle Odusola, said their representatives to the oil companies have failed in their responsibilities to the people, using public fund to enrich themselves and cronies.
According to Odusola: "Our governments at all levels are fake, especially the Ondo State government. We are the hen laying the golden egg for this state and nation at large through our oil, yet we suffer the most.
"Our governor is flagging off fake projects around the state without execution: the Araromi-Akodo/Ibeju-Lekki road and a flyover bridge, yet no contractor has moved to site. We are tired of them."
They declared, without mincing words, that "if our light is not restored, government should forget 2019 elections. None of the leaders in Ilaje communities will be allowed to campaign, INEC should forget elections in the riverine areas."
OSOPADEC chairman, Gbenga Edema, sympathized with the people and assuring that efforts are on top gear by the state government to ensure that there is restoration of electricity in the whole South Senatorial District.
He, however, noted that the menace been lingering in the area for over a decade, revealing that he had been in the forefront of the vanguard to decry the outright marginalization of the riverine communities.
"I sympathize with them and also feel their pains because an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. We agree that electricity is key to development. A lot of our youths who have trained as artisans need energy.
"The government of the day has been trying so hard to see how it can restore electricity in that area. We were in a meeting with the Executive Director of NDPHC a week ago and he briefed us what is being done to solve the problem.
"We have been collaborating with the BEDC too and other stakeholders, the government will soon find lasting solutions to this. I also sympathize with them because some of those things they were protesting about, some of us in the past had also raised the alarm."
He disclosed that the delays were due to the huge challenges the present administration met onboard in solving the problems, restating the commitment of the state government to develop the riverine communities.