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Residents of riverine communities in Ondo State, whose parts had been washed away by sea surge, have been assured that their lost space would be reclaimed for them.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa gave the assurance on Saturday while inaugurating a one-kilometre concrete walkway and a potable water supply scheme in Obe-Nla, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
He disclosed that his administration would embark on land reclamation to create more habitable land for the people.
“We are going to give land to our people through reclamation in the days ahead,” Aiyedatiwa declared.
Aiyedatiwa further assured residents of Aiyetoro and other vulnerable coastline communities that his administration is collaborating with the Federal Government and development partners, including HITECH, to address incessant coastal erosion, flooding and sea incursion.
Flagging off the construction of an additional three-kilometre concrete walkway for the community, the governor said his administration would ensure no community, regardless of its geographical challenges, is deprived of the dividends of good governance.
He assured equitable development in all the local government areas; the walkway and water scheme he inaugurated were practical responses to the long-standing needs of riverine communities.
The governor said: “This occasion is far more than the inauguration of concrete infrastructure. It is a reaffirmation of our administration’s unwavering resolve to ensure that no community, however distant or geographically challenged, is left behind in our march towards shared prosperity.”
Aiyedatiwa, therefore, recalled that residents of many riverine communities had, for decades, relied on unsafe wooden walkways across swampy terrain, a situation that impeded commerce, restricted access to schools and healthcare facilities and exposed residents to avoidable risks.
“As a responsive government, we could not afford to be indifferent. Today’s commissioning is therefore a practical response to genuine needs.
“Some of you who come from the uplands may be wondering why we are celebrating and commissioning just concrete walkways. Those who live in this community and grew up here will appreciate more what we are doing today. This is a genuine need for our people.
“The walkway is a corridor of hope, a pathway to dignity and a bridge to greater economic and social opportunities ”
The governor also commissioned a potable water supply scheme rehabilitated from a non-functional borehole inherited from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He explained that the project involved the rehabilitation of the borehole by the Ondo State Water Corporation, installation of a 50,000-litre elevated overhead storage tank, an extensive water reticulation network serving homes and public institutions, as well as a modern reverse osmosis water treatment facility to provide safe drinking water.
“This is not just for Obe-Nla. Neighbouring communities are also coming here to fetch water,” the governor said.
The governor listed ongoing infrastructure development projects in the riverine communities, which include the 38.5-kilometre Aboto-Atijere Road, the General Hospital at Agadagba-Obon, the two-million-gallon-per-day water sedimentation tank at Aboto, the mini water scheme at Molutehin and several community-based projects being executed through the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
He added that work was progressing on the 8.5-kilometre dual carriageway from College Road to Okitipupa Junction through Irewole Roundabout in Igbokoda and the Igbokoda-Okitipupa dual carriageway, while contracts had also been awarded for the Irele-Sabo-Mahin-Ugbo Road, selected roads in Igbokoda and the Zion-Pepe-Agerige Road.
According to him, the projects were deliberately designed to improve connectivity, unlock economic potential and accelerate development across the coastal corridor.
The Executive Chairman of OSOPADEC, Olabiyi Poroye, in his address, described the commissioning of the concrete walkway as the fulfilment of government’s promise to the people of the oil-producing communities.
He said: “This is more than the inauguration of a completed project; it is the celebration of a promise fulfilled. A testament to the fact that government works best when leadership is guided by compassion and driven by commitment.”
Poroye commended the governor for his unwavering commitment to the development of the mandate areas, saying the newly commissioned walkway would guarantee safer movement, improve commerce, expand access to education and healthcare, and enhance the dignity of residents.
He said the commission had translated every resource entrusted to it into measurable development, citing the bursary and scholarship awards granted to 4,873 students from Ilaje and Ese-Odo for the 2023/2024 academic session following the governor’s approval, as well as the commencement of the 2024/2025 bursary and scholarship scheme.
