The Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to set up a Rescue Committee over the ocean surge in Ayetoro community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Citing Order 42 and 52 to present his motion on incessant Ocean Surge in Aiyetoro Community of Ondo South Senatorial District, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, the Lawmaker representing the Senatorial district, informed the Senate that Ayetoro community is currently suffering from a severe incessant ocean disaster which needs urgent attention by the Federal Government.

Starnews Nigeria recalls that Senator Nicholas Tofowomo had on November 25, 2020, raised an alarm over the ocean surge and looming disaster in the Ayetoro community of Ondo state.

This is the second alarm through the  presentation of motions that would be raised by the Ondo South Senator over the ongoing disaster (Ocean surge) in Aiyetoro community.

Tofowomo who lamented the level of damages by the current Ocean disaster hope that the Buhari-led administration will take immediate action and respond urgently to the cries of his constituents.

“The Senate, on the 25th day of November 2020. I moved a motion on Ayetoro Community, Ondo state for suffering a severe Ocean disaster which has destroyed over 300 houses and swept away fishing tools making Ayetoro floating city a disaster”.

“Three(3) resolutions were made which are as follows;”

“Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, I am very angry and disturbed that Ayetoro floating city has been abandoned since November 2020 and none of the resolutions was executed.

“The question now is, who is going to assist the Community? I am now appealing to the federal government to please come to Ayetoro’s rescue by setting up a rescue committee that will Include Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ondo State Government, Nigeria Maritime, Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Oil companies within the region without delay, ” angry Tofowomo said.

Granting the motion for a rescue committee on Aiyetoro, the Senate also urged the Federal Government to include the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ondo State Government, Nigeria Maritime, Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Consolidated Oil, Chevron Oil and Cavendish Oil in the said committee.

Meanwhile, due to the repeated sea incursion at Ayetoro coastal community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, residents of the community staged a protest on Monday in Akure.

The protesters accused the state government of neglect.

Armed with placards of various inscriptions, the protesters said over 2000 people had been displaced and over 200 houses destroyed in the community.

“For the past two years, we observed that NDDC has been up and doing in every other part of Ondo State but the mandated community, the oil-bearing community upon which it was established at the first instance is suffering untold hardship,” the Moderator of Ilaje Advancement Forum, Daodu Juwon, said.

“The commission has not been able to conduct any project but we observed that it has been up and doing as far as Akoko-North to implement projects in areas where they have never any economic impact or ecological disaster arising from oil exploration activities and we find this as the highest act of injustice on the people of Ilaje

“We find out that the continuous peace and harmonious existence of Ilaje people have been taking for granted, we observed that the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on NNDC and Niger Delta Affairs has not done anything to assuage the sufferings of Ayetoro people that has been hard hit by perennial ocean attack.

The traditional ruler of the town, Olorunnimbe Ojagbohun, described the situation as devastating.

“Half of the residential places has been swept away. Places that used to be buildings are now places where fishermen fish. We have lost count of houses.