House to declare oil producing communities in Ondo, disaster zone
By Tom Okpe
The House of Representatives has emphasized its readiness to submerged some oil producing communities in Ondo State, declaring it, disaster zone.
The House in a motion of urgent need to declare oil producing communities of Aiyetoro, Awoye, Molutehin and Abereke in Ilaje/Ese- Odo, moved by Rep Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo, representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, Ondo State at plenary on Tuesday, noted that these communities account for 5.8 per cent of the 60,000 Barrel Per Day, BPD, of Ondo State’s crude oil production output, amounting to about 3.7 per cent of Nigeria’s total oil production.
This ranks Ondo State 5th, among Nigeria’s oil producing States as captured by the NDDC law;
The House is disturbed that devastating sea incursions and ocean surges, have been the albatross of these communities for over two decades with hundreds of homes and properties destroyed, resulting in the displacement of indigenes of the communities in their thousands and culminating in disruption of oil exploration activities, thereby, posing threats to peace and security in the riverine areas of the State.
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“The surges which have become an annual occurrence all along have reached a peak thereby, submerging more than half of each of these communities; and in the case of Awoye particularly, the communities now, splitting by the ravaging incursion.
“This has become alarming that successive administrations in Ondo State appears to have been overwhelmed, thus helpless in the face of gradual sink of these communities into the ocean and inevitable extinction.”
Further concerned that this disturbing scene in the oil bearing coastal communities is now a metaphor, and a constant content for advertorials in International and National broadcast channels in terms of depicting negative and ecologically, impacted images.
Also concerned about the need to ensure that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and its resolve, through the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ mantra, is supported by thorough Legislative backing to protect our treasure bases, especially at a time the administration is desirous to ramp up oil production for enhanced revenue for development.
Accordingly, the House resolves to declare the aforementioned communities as ‘disaster zones and National emergency, urging the House Committees on National Emergency and Disaster Management, Ecological Fund, Niger Delta Development Communities, NDDC, now Regional Development, and Legislative Compliance, to urgently, ensure compliance.
