FEDERAL COMMISSIONER, AJIMUDA RAISES ALARM OVER AIYETORO’S FATE, URGES SWIFT ACTION ON ILAJE DEVELOPMENT 

Abuja — The Federal Character Commissioner representing Ondo State, Bola Ajimuda, has issued a strong call to the Ondo State Government to urgently address the lingering infrastructural challenges in Ilaje Local Government Area, warning that continued neglect could lead to the disappearance of Aiyetoro community due to persistent sea incursion.

In a statement shared via his official Facebook platform, Ajimuda—popularly referred to as OSAGYEFO—expressed deep concern over what he described as prolonged inaction on the strategic Igbokoda–Aiyetoro Road project. According to him, the road remains a critical lifeline for riverine communities and a key intervention necessary to combat the devastating effects of coastal erosion.

Ajimuda traced the history of the project to its conceptualization in 2001 under the administration of Adebayo Adefarati, noting that substantial progress had been achieved, with about 80 percent of the road completed up to Ugbonla since 2007. However, he lamented that successive administrations failed to bring the project to completion.

He specifically criticized the tenure of Olusegun Mimiko for abandoning the initiative, while also stating that the late Rotimi Akeredolu was reportedly discouraged by certain local interests from prioritizing the project.

The commissioner did not mince words in expressing disappointment over what he termed a “culture of neglect,” alleging that even some stakeholders from Ilaje extraction contributed to the lack of progress. He warned that if urgent steps are not taken, Aiyetoro—a historically significant coastal settlement—may soon exist only in stories due to the relentless impact of sea incursion.

“Aiyetoro must not be reduced to a tale of loss. The time to act is now,” Ajimuda emphasized, urging the current administration under Lucky Aiyedatiwa to prioritize the completion of the road and implement sustainable coastal protection measures.

_The statement has since generated reactions across Ondo State, with stakeholders calling for immediate government intervention to preserve vulnerable communities and secure the future of Ilaje land._