Over the years , the people of Ilaje in the coastal waters of the southern senatorial district of Ondo state have wallowed in abject lack, poverty and seeming abandonment by the government.
Ironically, beneath the soil of the coastal communities making up Ilaje nation lies in a huge quantity the natural resources that put Ondo state in the league of the oil producing States in Nigeria.
For instance, Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local government has not had electricity supply for almost a decade and when night falls, the community is thrown into a thick fog of darkness. For the communities in the hinterland of Ilaje, there is no talking about electricity supply as they appear to have been permanently cut off the national grid for good.
Ilaje nation is surrounded by water but they have no water to drink. They cut the sorry picture of want in the midst of excess. Their water is not suitable for drinking purpose, yet they do not have pipe borne water facility, and the few community that have such, it is not adequate to cater for the glut of end users.Enter Ilaje Development Council (IDC), a non government, non partisan and non profit making , development -inclined movement to the rescue.
At the inaugural meeting of this organization earlier in March at Sapele, Delta state, it was made clear that the organized is motivated by a genuine desire to advocate the course of the development of Ilaje with a view to impacting positively and attracting the much needed social investment that can lift Ilaje out of the doldrums.Ilaje Development council is no doubt peopled by Ilaje sons and daughters who have done well for themselves in their respective career and among them are captains of industry, business moguls, senior lawyers, politicians and career civil servants.
Asked the Motive for conveying the council by the polity.com and their President , Chief Godday Erewa has this to say, ” we observed that there is the need to put together people of like minds who are passionate about their root, who are not comfortable with the status quo, who are willing to deploy their technical know how to improve our land.
“Our problem in this part of the world is that we expect government to do everything for us, but if we are sincere enough we will realise that there is a lot we can do for ourselves, rather than to wait forever for government intervention”.
At the second meeting of IDC which held at Domfav Hotel, NDDC quarters, Okitipupa , more issues of Ilaje development were put in perspective.
At the interactive session, Engineer Endurance Oriire put forward a pipe borne water solution which is solar powered requiring the sinking of boreholes at designated spots in the town. Engineer Oriire also offered to teach willing youths of Ilaje at no cost, his patent solar energy skill, which he noted he had been using in his house without a recourse to electricity supply.
Hon. Kolade victor Akinjo, MHR, maintained that there was the need to prioritize the challenges facing the people of Ilaje and so that they can be attended to in order of priority.
On the need to provide pipe borne water, while Akinjo reminded the council of the approach he has adopted in Igbokoda and its environ, he saluted Engineer Oriire for his solution, noting that it could still be factored into the NDDC budget for the year. Akinjo however called for empowerment drive for Ilaje youths , stressing that the time has come for Ilaje youths to do away with the failed approach of seeing empowerment programme as means to realise “beer and pocket money”.
Bar. Oscar Oloyede Gbayisemore opined that with the concerted effort of IDC many good things will come the way of Ilaje people. He noted that with the right concept and steadfast and consistent push, NDDC could be made to develop interest in our proposal and if he liaises with the team of the board as an insider, while Hon. Akinjo works on the commission from the House, a good proposal for the provision of pipe borne water will not only receive the blessing of the commission but will in record time see the light of the day.
IDC executives while engaging the polity.com in a media chat, noted that plan is in top gear to restore electricity to Ilaje. Hon Banji Okunomo, IDC public relations officer said the council is a group of elites and intellectual who will not engage in protest to solve the electricity challenge of Ilaje, noting that he is not condemning those who are engaging in protest, but IDC is engaging a more pragmatic approach to resolving the challenge. Okunomo stressed that the council is not partisan and doesn’t hope to gain any political capital from their effort, noting that they are motivated by their desire to leave a worthwhile legacy.
Chief Erewa said arrangement has been made to provide poles that will connect Igbokoda from Ore, and representation has been made to the appropriate power distribution outlet to this effect.
On the agenda of Ilaje Development council after resolving the twain challenge of pipe borne water and electricity supply is massive empowerment for Ilaje youths so as to wean them off their reliance on self- entitlement.
As things stand now, going by their resolve to develop their land and considering the calibre and integrity of members of the council, the people of Ilaje will earnestly wait for redemption as promised by Ilaje Development Council.
