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Ayetoro: Ondo community on verge of extinction

Ayetoro: Ondo community on verge of extinction

By Saheed Ibrahim
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In the Southern Senatorial District of Ondo state, lies the coastal Ayetoro community; a city known for its adoption of Communism as a way of life in the late 40s.  The community, established by the Holy Apostles’ Church many decades ago prides itself as The Happy City, as shown right at its entrance, is now on the verge of extinction.

It is one of the prominent towns in Ilaje Local Government Area, whose inhabitants are predominantly fishermen and water transporters. One significant feature of Ayetoro is the age long headship of the community, which is in sharp contrast with the traditional structure of Yoruba towns whereby Obas are chosen through traditional means. In the case of this town, the spiritual head of the Holy Apostle Church doubles as both the church leader and the community head.

The community ruler is referred to as “The Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro and His Spiritual Majesty of Holy Apostles’ Church, Ayetoro Worldwide”

With about 15 to 20 kilometres in land mass, the Happy City people are known for their hospitality and togetherness.

The community, years back, had a vibrant technical school, located at the entrance of the community, primary and secondary schools, a football field, good soil, beautiful plants and a large landmass, among others.

An area view of the town shows how well the streets were arranged, green plants, neatly constructed pathways and a glimpse of the city sends butterfly down one’s belly.

However, all the beauties, splendour as well as the happiness of this historical city are on the verge of extinction.

The cancer eating deep into the community is neither caused by war nor wildfire but by the sea.

According to the community leaders and some of the residents who spoke with The Hope, for about 20 years now, the city has been experiencing incursion from the Atlantic Ocean which flanks it by the East.

The sea incursion, according to them, usually occurs two to four times in a year during the raining season.

The last sea incident occurred midnight September 23 and 24, 2019.

The Hope visited the community to see the adverse effects of the sea incursion on the people as well as what is left of the community. Saheed Ibrahim details the situation of things in the community.

Land Mass

According to The Baba Ijo of the Holy Apostle Church, who is also the Deputy to the Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro, Arch Bishop Eremibo Eretan, the larger part of the island is already under the sea.

Corroborating this, Mr. Otito Atikase, Chairman Ilaje Local Government Area, within which the community is located, said that Ayetoro initially was about 15-20 kilometres in terms of landmass before one gets to the sea.

 He disclosed that he played ball on the community football field years back but now, nothing is left. The football field was also a casualty of the sea incursion.

While describing the initial landmass, the Secretary General of the community and a member of Ogeloyinbo-in-Council, Otunba Dele Kudehinbu said: “After you must have left all the houses, you still have a large land mass before the sea. That is where we have the football pitch. When you get to the end of the streets, you get down, you move towards the sea shore but the whole thing has been eroded.”

The principal of the only private secondary school in the community, Mr Aralu Emmanuel told The Hope that when he was very young, if one used a telescope to view the sea shore, the images of people there would be very tiny.

From what is left of the community, Ayetoro cannot boast of any landmass for either agriculture or any social activity. The major part of the island is filled with dirty, muddy water, covered with water weeds, plastics, nylons, broken planks (remains of some of the already destroyed buildings and pathways) and in many areas, spirogyras added green touches to the surface of the water.

The only major place one could walk freely on land is at the entrance of the community, where there is a walkway constructed with interlocking bricks. The walkway is about 50 metres into the community, after which one has to walk on the edges of drainages and on wooden pathways constructed above the water. Many of the wooden pathways are already broken; one had to tread carefully on them so as not to fall into the water.

At North-Eastern part of the community, where the abandoned Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) project is located, is another part where the people could touch the earth. According to Bishop Eretan, when the project was awarded, the community showed the contractors where to get sand to pump to the sea shore but that was the only thing done. Ever since, there have been no news of the contractors and the project remains a dream in the minds of the people.

One could see some of the abandoned machines used by the contractors and the big pipe used to pump sand to the sea shore.

Houses

Giving an account of the number of houses in the community before the sea incursion started, Otunba Kudehinbu told The Hope that the majority of the buildings in the community are under the sea.

“For more than 20 years now, a lot of houses have been lost to the sea. Before, in every street, we had 32 houses, 16 buildings on each side facing each other… Currently, in some streets, the number of houses is less than four, some two. The greater percentage of the houses have been lost to the sea”, he accounted.

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Arch Bishop Eremibo Eretan, the Deputy ruler of the community, recounted that about 200 buildings had been swept away by the sea and many families were displaced.

Bishop Eretan stated that although no life was lost, property worth N200 billion was destroyed and majority of the people had left the community to seek refuge in other places.

At the East side where the Atlantic Ocean is, some parts of the submerged buildings could be seen on the surface of the water. In some streets, no house is standing while most of the buildings at the sea side may be gone in no time as the sea continues to push its way into the community.

 Population

On the headcount of the community residents, Otunba Kudehinbu accounted thus: “In 1991 census, Ayetoro had a population of 14,500. In 2006, It was 26,000. But now, many people have left the community”.

He estimated the current number of people in the community to be between 4000 to 5000 people.

When The Hope walked around the community, many of the people were seen around the entrance of their houses.

The sea side was almost desolate as most of the buildings have been washed away and the few ones standing are already dilapidated.

The community leaders and residents confirmed that many people had relocated to other communities because their houses had been washed away by the sea.

Major institutions in the community

According to a resident who served as our guide in the community, Mr Oladele Ajijo, the major institutions in the community are the community primary school, secondary school, a technical college, community town hall and a health centre.

As at Monday, November 5, 2019, when The Hope visited the town, the community primary and secondary schools had been destroyed by the sea.

According to Mr Aralu Emmanuel, who is the principal of the only private secondary school in the community, due to the constant sea incursion into the community, both the community secondary and primary schools have been relocated three and four times respectively in different years.

The community primary school is currently occupying one of the dilapidated Technical College buildings at the entrance of the community. The school environment is filled with dirty water, dirt and bushes, a sickening environment that no child should be allowed to play, let alone study.

The Headmaster of the school, Mr Okunluwa O.A. told The Hope that out of over 400 pupils the school has, only 178 resumed on the first day of resumption.

He disclosed that many pupils had relocated with their parents to other communities.

He decried the environment in which pupils are learning, stating that they had no other choice than to manage the current situation they are until government makes provision for new sets of classroom blocks for them.

Within the community, some of the children were seen with their parents. A woman who did not disclose her identity said she could not allow her three kids go to school because of their safety.

Commenting on why the technical college is no more functioning, Arch Bishop Eremibo averred thus: “If you go to the marine section, many of the boys in the section are products of Ayetoro. If you go, you still meet them as Heads of Departments, SMO, etc.

“But when the state government came in that they wanted to upgrade the technical college, we agreed with them. The NDDC tried to renovate the college but the state government came in, they even set up as exam and boys came because they really do both practical and theory in the college. But since, what I am talking is now more than 16 years when the state government have taken over our technical college but nothing has been done.

“There was a time they brought materials worth millions of naira to the technical college but they just brought them and since we do not see them again. It is the problem of the government”.

The community health centre was not left behind in the damage. Many of the facilities at the centre had been destroyed by water. The floor was very slippery and there were dirt and broken planks within the health facility.

As terrible as the centre was when The Hope visited, a woman and a child of about three year old were on admission therein.

The doctor in charge of the health centre was not available but two nurses were seen there.

The health centre currently sits on water. The reception, family planning units, drug administration unit and other departments within the centre could only be described as terrible.

Social Amenities

The community power house, which houses an electricity plant that supplies electricity to the entire community had the engines filled with water.

The plant was not running and only a barber’s shop and a phone engineer had power, using small size power generator sets.

As regards water facility, the people get water from a tap that runs across the community but some of the taps are almost submerged by muddy water. According to Mr Dele Ajijo, it was a project by the NDDC many years back.

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Many of the taps were almost covered by the smelling water and in some areas, the facilities have been washed away.

However, with the sickening situation of the taps, some of the residents were seen drawing water from them; saying they have no other sources of water.

With all sense of dignity and truthfulness, Ayetoro community needs health intervention to prevent an outbreak of diseases in the community.

Social Life

The social life within the community is close to zero. Majority of the community members have relocated and there is water everywhere. Only few children were seen playing at the community entrance, the only place one could witness the little fragment of happiness left in the community.

Economic Activities

Ayetoro members are predominantly fishermen. With the large volume of sea water, destruction of many buildings and relocation of some of the residents, Bishop Eretan stated that although no life was lost, property worth 200 billion naira was destroyed and a large majority of the people had left the community to seek refuge in other places.

He revealed that many businesses had collapsed and the economy of the community had been paralysed.

“Nobody is going to the sea to fish”, Mr Dele said. He revealed that ever since the sea incursion, nobody is willing to risk his life to go to the sea to fish.

As seen in the community, only transportation business can be said to be “alive” but many of the boat owners lamented lack of patronage as the number of people have reduced.

Many of the shops have been destroyed. Mrs Ibironke Saehi, who trades in food stuff and other consumable goods said she had lost her goods, her shop and her house.

The prices of sea products, which people could give out for free weeks back, have now become unaffordable for some of them because the prices have gone up.

Mrs Ayo Balogun, a fish trader told The Hope that the price of fish had soared because fishermen could not go to the sea due to the large volume of water

A woman who was in a boat with The Hope could not buy two pieces of fish because of the prize. According to her, the trader demanded N2,500 for what she was buying at N1,000 or lesser some weeks back.

Mr Goodluck Ejagbomo, a businessman and a transporter, said his business had been drastically affected and his house destroyed. He said he had taken his family out of the community for a new life.

On his own part, Mr Akindele Igoli told The Hope that he and his family were living with another resident who was sheltering them because both his house and business had gone with the sea.

The Cause of the Sea Incursion

The community leaders and the residents who spoke with The Hope said that the major cause of the incessant sea incursion is due to the oil exploration and exploitation by oil firms in the area. This was also confirmed by the Chairman of Ilaje LGA where the community is located, Hon. Otito Atikase

Arch Bishop Eretan narrated thus: “It started in the 60s. The block palace over there (pointing to the location), was the shooting for testing of this oil something that shook the building, making it to drop. And it is this oil exploration that causes the major problem of this community and that is why you cannot even get fish”

The Youth Leader of the community, Mr Iretolu Ajinde, Mr Goodluck Ejagbomo, Mr Akindele Igoli, Mr Oladele Ajijo and Mr Emmanuel Aralu also confirmed that the oil exploration is the major cause of the sea incursion.

Confirming this, Hon Atikase stated thus, “What we are seeing today, is the resultant effect of oil exploration and exploitation. That is why I have been saying that the oil companies are too exploitative. They take our resources without plying back and that is the effect. They disobey all extant rules, regulations and conventional norms.

“In advance climes, they cannot do what they are doing in this part of the country. Where they come into the country and exploit our resources without plying back to those communities.

“These communities are worse than what they were before. Before now, Ayetoro community was one of the biggest communities in Ilaje Local Government but today, we can count the number of roofs we have in Ayetoro because some of the houses have been washed away.”

Is resettlement an option?

When asked if they are willing to resettle in another area if given financial motivation, most of the community members who spoke with The Hope said they were not willing to relocate to another place because it is their land.

Mr Bayode Elemi, who said he was born in the community in 1973 and has been living in the house his father left for him, said that he has never for once enjoyed his inheritance (the house).

Mr Elemi who spoke in Pidgin English said, “This is our fathers’ land, we can’t leave here. What should be done is the embankment. We do not want to leave the promise land. This is our promise land. We cannot leave it. I beg you in the name of God, solution should be provided quickly; it should be done this year.

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Mr Oladele Israel, Mr Egbajomo Lawson and two others also said they cannot leave their land, calling for urgent measures to checkmate the sea incursion.

The Baba Ijo of the Holy Apostles’ Church also averred that the land belong to the church and the people.

Way Forward

Leaders and members of the troubled Happy City are calling on the government and all interventionist agencies to save their city.

They all disclosed that the embarkment project, awarded by the NDDC in 2001 and also in 2006, is abandoned.

According to Arch Bishop Eretan, the project was awarded in 2001 for 2.5billion naira and later rewarded in 2006 for 6billion naira but up to the time of filing this report, the contractors had abandoned the project.

Bishop Eretan then called on the state and the federal governments to come to the aid of the community and provide an embankment at the sea shore to protect the community and its people.

The Chairman, Board of Registered Trustees of the Holy Apostle Church and a member of Ogeloyinbo-in-Council, Most Reverend Right Apostle Jeseri Iwasanmi Ajijo also confirmed that the NDDC project has been abandoned by the contractors.

“They awarded the contract but nothing was done. They just awarded the contract and we just see people coming to say the contract has been awarded but we have not seen anything. Some of them will dump some quantities of sand and we do not see them again, he told The Hope.

Apostle Ajijo revealed that the community and the people had tried to help those that were hugely affected by the sea incursion but the solution to the problem is beyond what the community can afford.

He disclosed that the community had sent many representatives to the government to inform them of the extent of the damage that the sea incursion has done in the community, but nothing has been done so far to save the community.

“This is above the community. It is a matter of Federal Government or international organisations to intervene because it is very serious and beyond the community”, he said.

He stated that the lasting solution to the sea incursion is beyond the community and the Ondo State government, calling on the state government to make certain provisions to ameliorate the suffering of the people

Mr Atikase also confirmed that many calls had been made to the NDDC but there is nothing yet.

 “In fact, I wrote letter to the acting Managing Director of the NDDC, who came around; although she didn’t get to Ayetoro but she got to Igbokoda. We briefed her, we told her the implication of the damage caused by sea incursion on Ayetoro. We told her everything, the extent of damage caused by the incursion.

“So, we told the NDDC to do something immediately. Even if they cannot provide lasting solution, what we can do for now to assuage the effect of the incursion because we have short term, medium term and the long term solutions. We asked them to do short term and the medium term because they said the long term, the money is humongous: it requires a large chunk of money to put a lasting solution to that place. It requires the World Bank and other interventionist agencies, that NDDC alone cannot do it,” he disclosed.

On the part of the Ondo State government, the local government chairman said: “In term of embankment, there is nothing the state government has done and I don’t think the state government has the financial capacity.  The state government has taken relief materials to the people on many occasions to assuage their pains.

“It has set up an assessment committee in which I was a member. The committee went round, we even went to Ayetoro to see the extent of the flood, we have written our report, we have submitted our report and the state government is studying the report and they will come out with something in no time,” he stated.

Hon. Atikase however revealed that it is not only Ayetoro alone that is threatened but the entire Ilaje LGA, saying that there is great danger ahead for the LGA.

“And beyond Ayetoro, there is another danger coming in Awoye. In fact, the sea is already having incursion into the fresh water. You can no longer differentiate between the fresh water from and sea water: now in Awoye, likewise Abereke. Abereke and Awoye have the same features –as Awoye is in Ugbo, Abereke is in Mahin. Both of them are experiencing serious sea incursion.

“The sea has already circulated the environments and it has gained entrance into the community. The danger is that by the time that continues, it will get to a level where Igbokoda, the headquarter of the local government will be wiped off and that is the end of Ilaje Local Government Area, he disclosed.

The LGA chairman, the community leaders and the residents are thus therefore calling on the Federal Government, NDDC and international organisations to save Ayetoro and the entire Local government from being washed away by the sea.

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Ayetoro: Ondo community on verge of extinction

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