Ayetoro Sea Surge And A Mute Federal Government

Ayetoro is a community in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. It is located on the Atlantic coast in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Founded in 1947, Ayetoro is known as a floating city for its marine businesses with commercial fishing services and transportation as the major occupation of residents and the mainstay of the community.

Being a fertile community for commercial fishermen, it became popular for its fishing terminal, hospitality, social life, and commercial activities with a high standard of living arising from its numerous side attractions.

But a floodgate of doom was opened in the 70s when crude oil was discovered in commercial quantities in the seabed of the community following the visit by multinational oil companies with drilling ships and other equipment to extract its offshore oil.

Ever since then, the community has been experiencing turbulent sea incursions and oil spillage that has rendered the inhabitants helpless, jobless, and homeless, with many properties washed away.

The sea incursion has become a constant occurrence with the latest incident sacking the community and destroying buildings and property worth millions of Naira on Monday afternoon, February 17, 2023

At the moment, Starnews Nigeria reports that Ayetoro residents have been displaced after suffering many losses caused by severe reoccurrence sea incursions that remained unchecked by the federal government of Nigeria and other relevant agencies of government.

The residents have held several protests calling on the government for help. Several petitions have been written and many save our souls requests via the multimedia have been registered. In a video obtained by Starnews Nigeria over the last occurrence early this week, a resident of the community was heard lamenting and calling on the federal government and the President of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari for urgent help.

In November 2020, the Nigerian Senate raised the alarm over the reoccurrence severe Ocean disaster in Ayetoro of Ondo State following a motion by Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial District.

Documentary: VIDEO-Ayetoro Sea Surge And A Mute Federal Government

Tofowom lamented the situation in the area and the need to rescue Ayetoro community from ocean surge which has rendered thousands of residents homeless. The Senator also said that crude oil exploration companies which operate around the region with their offices at Ilaje Local Government have not fared better.

In May 2021, when it became obvious that the federal government was muted and deaf to the Senate’s resolutions to rescue the people of Ayetoro community, Senator Tofowomo moved another motion titled; “Another Cry to Rescue Ayetoro Community in Ondo State from Continuous Ocean Surge”.

Consequently, the Senate again urged the Federal Government and its agency, NDDC, to as a mattter of urgency rescue Ayetoro community from continuous ocean surge by producing ocean barriers to mitigate the sea incursions.

To date, on the call for the installation of sea barriers, Ayetoro community is yet to receive any support from the Federal Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) which oversees the Oil producing part of Ondo State.

As it stands, the community is on the verge of total extinction with the latest torrential and turbulent outbreak of Ocean surge.

On this note, in a last-minute save our soul request, on behalf of the community, Starnews Nigeria is calling on the authorities to do the needful by installing sea barriers before the community goes into total extinction.

By tomorrow, Starnews Nigeria will upload a documentary of Ayetoro ‘s past and present situations on this news website.

Stay tuned and share this story!