BY FRIDAY OMOSOLA-Sunreporters
After the July 1998 oil spillaged in ilaje local government, Ondo State, Nigeria, which has caused great agony with over 3,260 animals die from drinking polluted water, numerous fishing net and plantains, the federal government, state and the Chevron have left the Communities under-developed and residents in abject poverty.
Recently , the residents of ilaje in the coastal area have been battling with aftermath of the spillage which has done a lot of damages than when the oil was first spilled.
In a visitation to Ayetoro Community, popularly know as Happy city , the sea incursion has destroyed houses and other valuables item.
Mr Olusegun Olaoye one of the residents said since the sea incursion has started in early 1880’s , many life’s and properties worth billion of naira had been destroyed.
He also added that damaged caused by the oil spill to nature in riverine communities has normally been associated with damages to farmland , vegetation and death to aquatic lives.
Also, Emanuel Aralu and Atimise Benson highlighted lack of proper education, health cares as the major issues facing the Community since the sea incursion started.
” The primary and secondary schools have been relocated four times to ensure safety of the pupils and students , which has affected their education a lot”.
In Beku, a Community in Ugbo kingdom, ilaje local government, when our reporter visited Mr Owopebijo Omonuwa, he was worried about where to put all his belongings after the overnight sea incursion visited his building.
Lamenting his ordeal, Owopebijo a man at his late age , said catching of fishes which is the major occupation in the area has been affected by the spillage and surviving had become hard for him and his family .
Unfortunately, Ayetoro and Beku Communities was not the only affected areas of sea incursion. Several places like Mese, Awoye, Molutehin, Oretan, Jirinwo, Odofado, Ilepete, Ilowo were also visited.
In Mese Community, the residents have vacated the community for the sea incursion while Odofado, Gbagira, Jirinwo are preparing for thier vacation as well.
LACK OF PORTABLE WATER
In Molutehin Community, there’s no pipe borne water. According to the villagers ,there was a water project ongoing in the community before the contractors vacated the scene leaving behind their equipments and since then , several pleads and letter had been sent to the government and Chevron to comes to their rescue which none was replied .
While adding , the youth vice chairman who spoke anonymously said the residents live on sachet water.
Mese, Obenla, Jirinwo, Ayetoro and the rest communities are not left out in the battle for drinkable water.
When asked how they get drinkable water , the villagers said the people travelling several kilometers by boat to get good drinking water from opuekaba platform , the water used for the cooling of engine.
POOR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
We hired teachers with Community money’s to ensure our children are goes to school said one of the parent who granted our reporter an interview.
In Molutehin Comprehensive College, many uncompleted and abandoned class rooms and staff quarters were sighted.
According to the residents, the abandoned class rooms and staff quarters have been abandoned for over 10 years and most of the class rooms houses snakes, crocodiles and other dangerous animals.
In the same vein, Community primary school, Odun-Oyinbo ,two classes were combined together with one teacher handling the teaching activities.
When asked why teachers are scanty, Ayenuro Kehinde Nelson said whenever those teachers heard about the critical conditions of this place ,they worked their transfer back to City.
The science students laboratory in Molutehin comprehensive college was scanty of adequate equipments.
To be frank and sincere with you , some of those equipments are not functioning again said one of the teacher.
HEALTH CENTRE PALAVA
When our reporter alighted at basic health centre , Odun Oretan, doctors and nurses are not on seat while the hospital was widely opened.
Also, the health centre lack adequate equipments.
In Molutehin, the case was different, the only health centre in the community was uncompleted and abandoned.
Speaking , one of the village head opined that since the spillage has polluted the people’s source of drinking water , the people’s health are in worst condition and they suffered various forms of skin and gastric infections .
Corroborating his point on how the sick people get adequate treatment, he affirmed that either they are transported to Igbokoda or private owned hospitals in the nearby communities.
The all visited communities are calling on the federal and the state government, most especially the Chevron to strike the iron why it still hot before they are all wiped away by sea incursion.
