The Upper Chamber (Senate) during its plenary on Tuesday mandated its Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) when constituted, to investigate the multi-billion naira shoreline protection contract awarded in Ayetoro Community, Ondo State.
The Senate leadership also mandated the Committee to interface with relevant Ministries to work out modalities for instant intervention.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim representing Ondo South had on Tuesday sponsored a motion titled: “Urgent need for intervention to arrest the incessant sea incursion ravaging Ayetoro Community in Ondo State”.
Ibrahim complained devastation caused by incessant sea incursions and ocean surges in Ayetoro community, which he says threatens the existence of the community.
He noted that the Ayetoro community and its environs in Ilaje Local Government Area, accounts for 5.4% of the 60,000 barrel per day of the state’s crude oil production output, amounting to about 3.7% of Nigeria’s total oil production, which ranks Ondo as the 5th oil-producing state under the NDDC Act.
According to him: “Ayetoro Community used to be one of the most prosperous riverine settlements in Nigeria due to its thriving trade in fish but, residents of the community are gradually losing hope, and feared that if nothing is done urgently, the community will be on the verge of being completely lost to the sea.
“The devastating sea incursions and ocean surges have been the albatross of the Ayetoro Community for over two decades with hundreds of homes and properties being destroyed annually resulting to displacement of indigenes of the community and consequently in the disruption of oil exploration in the area.
“The surges have become an annual occurrence that successive governments have failed to attend to and serving a daily reminder to the indigenes of Ayetoro that the community is gradually slipping into the belly of the Atlantic Ocean.”
Ibrahim also told his colleagues in the Senate that: “In early 2004, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), just four years after its creation made commendable attempt to stem the tide by awarding the contract for the construction of a shoreline protective wall designed with a geo-tube technology in Ayetoro to Gallet Nigeria Limited at an original contract sum of N6.4 billion of which 25 percent was reportedly paid.
The contract was revoked in 2009 for alleged lack of capacity and rewarded to Dredging Atlantic Limited at an undisclosed cost, however, eleven years after the new contractor took over, and sixteen years after the contract was first awarded, there is nothing on ground to show any intervention by the government, thereby creating the wrong impression of an unconcerned Federal Government.”
Supporting the motion, Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Baru, said that Senate leadership must rescue the good people of Ayetoro from the disaster.
Senators supported the motion are Senator Gbenga Daniel, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi and many others distinguished senators.
