Residents of Araromi-Ilugun-Itoko and six neighboring communities in Odeda Local Government Area, Ogun State, staged a protest on Monday to draw attention to the deplorable state of the road connecting their areas.
Additionally, they highlighted the severe gully erosion that not only damaged the road but also posed a threat of displacing the communities during rainfall.
Armed with placards displaying messages such as “Gov Dapo Abiodun, come to our aid at Araromi-Ilugun-Itoko” and “We can’t access our houses due to gully erosion,” the residents conveyed their urgent plea for assistance. The protest emphasized the current inability to reach their homes and the looming danger of another rainy season exacerbating the situation.
During the demonstration, residents sounded the alarm about an impending flooding disaster and landslides that could impact over 50 houses if the gully erosion issue remains unaddressed before the onset of the next rainy season.
The affected communities are: Araromi Ilugun-Itoko, Victory Estate, Surulere, Peaceland, Ilugun Central, Sunshine Estate and Abata CDA.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of Araromi-Ilugun-Itoko Community Development Association, Mr Okuneye Alaba Ezekiel, explained that the challenge started around June.
Okuneye said, “The gully erosion is really threatening the existence of the foundation of our communities. It started in June this year and it has become a source of serious concern to the residents. In fact, we believe that disaster looms should nothing be done on this terrible gully if the next rainfall should begin.
“The volume of the water that is coming to Araromi Ilugun-Itoko CDA resulted into this gully erosion and as communities, we don’t have the capacity to handle this huge challenge.
“We are calling on the state government and particularly the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Environment to come to our rescue because if another rainy season should start, there will be a serious problem in this area.
“We have about seven communities accessing this road and the gully erosion has destroyed the road. People can no longer drive to their houses, even to trek to their various houses is a serious challenge as a result of the gully erosion.
“We are calling on the government to come to our rescue because if another rainy season should set in, about 50 houses will be affected and seven communities will also be affected.
“Before now, we had been appealing to government to come to our rescue, but our voice has not been heard yet.
“We want the government to help us to construct drainage that will channel the water into a nearby river down the community. It has to be a very big drainage looking at the havoc that the the gully has caused, but if that is not done a greater disaster looms.
“We are appealing to Governor Abiodun as well as the Federal Ministry of Environment to please arise and help us. We don’t want to wait until we begin to lose lives and property. Already, our economic activities are badly affected. We plead for all the help that we can get before the next rainy season begins.”
