A Lagos-based middle aged businessman; Chief Kolawole Oyekunle; have cried out for justice following the invasion of his house at Alabere, Oloruntele, along Ife Road, in Okeigbo, Ondo State, by man-made erosion, as a result of the illegal construction of a structure on the setback of the federal government road; thereby, unfairly and ill-intentionally channeling flowing water to his house by a defiant neighbor; one Chief Johnson Elusoji.
The cry for justice came just as parts of his building have been destroyed and other parts being threatened by the denudation of soil covers due to the erection of an illegal building beside his house and a steep valley; which is not in the best practices, considering the landscape dynamics and ecological challenges of the community which has rugged hilly terrains and other geomorphic features.
Speaking with newsmen at the site of the incident, Chief Oyekunle revealed that officials of the Ondo State Ministry of Lands and Housing had once intervened and ordered the stoppage of the work on the building and also, directing that no structure must be erected on the setback of the federal road, but to his astonishment about five months later, Chief Elusoji started work again on the building and subverting the topography of the land, thereby diverting the erosion to his compound.
“I was called from Lagos that somebody had barricaded the land. I had to come down from Lagos and met it as they said. The Ministry of Lands intervened and stopped the work on their building as well as the setback; saying that it was illegal. I was surprised when about five months later, he continued building his structure. I don’t know how he manoeuvred his way around it. He diverted the topography of the land to the extent that erosion doesn’t have free flow to the proper channel. Now, the erosion fills my compound and my fence is always collapsing.”
Chief Oyekunle; who is also the Oba Mesin Odua of Okeigbo Kingdom, the Aruwajoye of Odigbo Kingdom and the Aare Jagunmolu of Akola-Ijesha in Atakunmosa Local Government Area of Osun State; called for the intervention of the Federal Government through it’s agencies like the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), and the Ecological Fund Office to right the wrongs of Elusoji’s putting up of illegal structure on the setback of the federal government road.
“I want the intervention of the regulatory bodies of the Federal Government to exercise their rights to make sure that things are in order and lives and properties of people are safe.”
[
When contacted for his own side of the story, Chief Johnson Elusoji; who holds the traditional title of the Obalale of Okeigbo; was sober. He however pledged his readiness for a peaceful resolution, though, still adamant on not removing the structure on the road setback.
“I want all of us having our buildings in this location to settle, so that at the end of the day, no one will suffer the effects of erosion.”
The representative of the Monarch of the town; Chief Mosekola Olawole, the Lisa of Okeigbo Kingdom said that the position of the king was for a peaceful resolution and compliance to government’s regulations.
“We have been on this matter for over a year trying to settle the disagreement between the duo. The Town Planners came from both the Local Government Council Headquarters in Ile-Oluji and from Akure, the state capital, and it was resolved that the channel should not be blocked so that the flowing water will have it’s natural course to flow to the gully, but unfortunately, Chief Elusoji has not complied with the agreement.”
Lending his voice to the matter, a Deputy Director at the Ondo State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development; Mr Ajanaku Osolaja; called for a concerted effort of all parties concerned to solve the problem at hand.
“It is true to say that there should be Federal Government’s intervention, but before help comes from the Federal Government, the parties concerned have to resort to self-help and cooperation amongst themselves, to solve the problem once and for all.”
