The residents of Ijigba 1 Community, off Oda road in Akure South local government area of Ondo State have appealed to the state government to extend its gully erosion control measures to the area.
Addressing Journalists on behalf of the people over the issue of gully erosion threatening the lives and properties of the residents of the area, the former Secretary of the Landlords’ Association in the community, Mr. Moses Ojo stated that the erosion has destroyed the bridge linking the community with Ilekun and Ijoka.
According to Ojo, the damage of the bridge has posed some of the residential houses and the occupants in danger especially now that this year’s raining season has started. He opined that due to the impassable nature of the vital road, the socio-economic activities of the people have paralysed.
“We’re using this medium to again call the attention of the state government to our plight. When this road was passable, those coming from Oda and Ilekun to Ijoka used to pass here. About 10 years ago when the Kajola-Ijoka link road was constructed by Mimiko-led administration, the diversion of the water from the suburb hills resulted into this gully erosion which destroyed the bridge. Owing to the high volume of the water, it gradually extended the narrow channel and now it has started threatening our buildings and lives” he said.
In an interview with one of the Land ladies whose buildings are being threatened as the erosion has begun to wash away the foundation of their buildings, Mrs. Badejo Mojisola Mary urged the state government to come to their aid.
Having narrated the various efforts made to draw the attention of the state government’s erosion control agencies to their plight without success, Badejo disclosed that the erosion has cut off the area from Akure town adding that all the residents there are now living in fear especially when there is an indication that it may likely rain.
In his comment, another Landlord, an Octogenarian, Pa A.O. Falayi pleaded with Ajeredolu’s administration to help them so that the erosion will not make them homeless. With my age, I went out during the last election to vote for APC candidates. They should come and help us out if this challenge” he said.
Mr. Kadiri Olaitan and Mrs. Salami Rachel traced the cause of their plight to Engineers that designed the constitution of Kajola-Ijoka road for not extending the channelization of the high volume water to the area and called on state government to assist them.
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