Ilaje people made wise decision joining the Alliance of Social Democrats (ASD) –Dr Emeka Okengwu

By Olusola Akinbinu

On Sunday 23rd September 2018, collection of grassroot stakeholders across Ilaje communities converged at Mobus Hotel, Ilaje, where they welcomed invited representatives from the National secretariat of the Alliance of Social Democrats (ASD), a newly registered political party in Nigeria with clear ideological trajectory to meet and discuss with them on the possibility of working together to overcome the deplorable and terrible living  conditions of the Ilaje people today. The meeting was well attended as it was described as a familiarization meeting, and expression of interest to join the party and build it as an ideological movement across Ilaje and Nigeria at large on the basis of its written down manifesto and constitution of the party (www.allianceofsocialdemocrats.org/manifesto).

It will be recalled that Ilaje communities presently face unprecedented and terrible encroachment of land, properties and constructed facilities, many families already displaced, no access to portable water, lack of basic amenities etc. it is a pathetic case of water water everywhere but no water to drink and even cook. In Ayetoro for instance, an organized autonomous historical community established in 1947, the community through self-help established their power production and supply system in 1953, no single contribution of the Nigerian government, just community organization and willful contributions. Today, about 3 kilometers  of the landscape of Ayetoro is already washed away by sea encroachment, 7 rows of organized residential houses on each street are already submerged into the sea. Other communities such terribly affected are Mahin, Molutehin, Awoye, Arogbo etc. according to the people, the Federal Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC have continued to award contracts of sea embankment but nothing has been done practically due to non-transparency of the processes and insensitivity.

The National Chairman of the ASD, Dr Emeka Okengwu, represented by the Deputy National Chairman, Otunba Akin Akinbobola who was present with few members of the state leadership of the ASD including Barr. Adeola Kayode Ondo State Coordinator, Deputy State Coordinator Dr. Sunday Matthew Ibitoye, State General Secretary Mrs. Yemi Omogbehin, State Treasurer Prophet Ayanfe Adeleke, Mrs Dame Victoria, the State Woman Mobilized, Ademario Emmanuel, the State Youth Mobilizer among others, appreciated the gathering for making the right choice in searching for, and choosing the ASD. He told them that specific articles in the manifesto of the ASD addresses all the challenges of the Ilaje community and the steps we shall take as a people to get sustainable results. Among which he read as (i) “Resstructure Nigeria Socially, Politically and Economically that will recognize the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria and respect their identities and fundamental rights to their culture and values" read from page 6 of the Manifesto booklet.

(ii) "Resolve the energy crisis through development of integrated gas gathering, cleaning and supply system by reviewing the trans-sahara and West Africa gas pipes to include Spokes for gas supply to all the states and individual locations along the pipelines"
(iii) "Institute a national program for efficient service delivery in all spheres of public and social service with focus on security, health, education, housing and access to justice"
(iv) "Develop a robust national food Security program that would be technology supported, to ensure that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry" etc.

These content of the manifesto are empowered by the constitution of the party and members of the party are obliged to abide strictly by the constitution; holding by which tenets, a governance structure  emerging from its established ideological structures and orientation is so definite to inclusively work out solutions locally to all the terrible living conditions of the Ilaje nation, rather than making them wait endlessly for a government fund-racketeering with foreign contractors which never comes to site.  The grassroots stakeholders in the meeting were led by Pastor Ogunsemore Claudius, Ojajuni Busayo, Hon Lòwò Ola, Princess Ikuenomiye,  S.O. Mrs Aliki Ibidun,  Hon Sama Bosede and others
They were excited by the genuiness of the party and gave their words to immediately commence on spreading the ASD message to all the nooks and cranny of the Ilaje and build membership, as the ASD is the only party in Nigeria that engages the people in bringing practical solutions to the problems of the people  Led by pastor Ogunsemore Claudius, Ojajuni Busayo, Hon Lòwò Ola, Princess Ikuenomiye,  S.O. Mrs Aliki Ibidun,  Hon Sama Bosede