Editorial

Rescuing Ayetoro

Published by

2 years ago

THE sleepy town of Ayetoro in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State has been in the news lately courtesy of viral videos which lamented the plight and agony of residents of the coastal community which is on the verge of slipping into the Atlantic ocean as a result of rising sea level. The devastating incursion, said to be an annual occurrence, has ravaged the community with unprecedented ferocity this time around. And in its wake, properties worth millions of naira, including schools, hospitals and business centres, have been destroyed, rendering many of the residents homeless and paralysing their economic life. In addition, the surge has also reportedly taken over more than half of the land of the community with grave implications for farming activities in the largely agrarian community. The residents of the town blame the current situation on unmanaged oil exploration and drilling which have contributed to making the place and its topography susceptible to the vagaries and the encroaching effects of ocean surges.

While the alleged reckless oil exploration and drilling activities in Ayetoro might not necessarily be the only reason for the ocean surges in the town, it has nonetheless become imperative to be more attentive to the negative impact of oil drilling in that environment and elsewhere. The life and existence of people must be prioritised over oil revenue. Consequently, the ravaging ocean surges should be a matter of urgent concern to the government and other relevant authorities, and everything must be done to rescue and preserve the town. Indeed, the fact that this disaster has recurred time and again effectively puts the town in the mould of an ungoverned space. Or why would annual ocean surges with so much devastating effects on lives and livelihood of the people be allowed to go on unchecked when there is a government in place?

From the accounts of some residents of the town, the relevant authorities are neither proactive nor responsive to the menace of ocean surges in the town, even though their attention was persistently drawn to it before the situation became grave. Could it be that the government could not see any wisdom in the trite aphorism that a stich in time saves nine? For instance, it took a viral video chronicling the adversity of residents of the town on the internet before the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) chose to rise to the occasion, promising far- reaching interventions. That is not good enough. We have often stressed that the challenges facing this country are not just enormous but they are also multifaceted, and the implication of that is that leaders at all tiers of government do not have the luxury of lethargy, lackadaisical attitude and incompetence in governance.

Though its intervention is rather late in coming, it is nonetheless comforting that the NDDC has taken notice of the present situation in Ayetoro with a promise to put necessary structures in place to protect the town’s shorelines from further encroachment. The Ondo State government, too, has a role to play in apprehending the situation, and it will not be out of place for it to work in liaison with the NDDC to stem the persisting encroachment and save the town from being overtaken by the ocean. Fortunately, in this regard, there is a precedent from which both the NDDC and the Ondo State government can draw ample technical and operational lessons. And that is in Lagos State where the government is reputed to have tamed and put paid to the deleterious impacts of ocean surges in Lagos Island.

The inhabitants of Ayetoro town are already dying from the ferocious effects of the ocean surges, and that is in addition to the disruption of their economic life which caused many to flee to the neighbouring towns and villages. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to help salvage the situation, save the town, and restore normalcy to it as soon as possible.

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