𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢 @ 50: 𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗕𝗢-𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘, (𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗚) 𝗖𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗 𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦, 𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗜𝗠𝗢, 𝗕𝗜𝗔𝗚𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞....𝑺𝑬𝑬𝑲𝑺 𝑲𝑼𝑲𝑼, 𝑲𝑬𝑲𝑬𝑴𝑬𝑲𝑬, 𝑶𝑱𝑶𝑮𝑶 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵......𝑨𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑶𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒔, 𝑨𝑰𝑮𝑮, 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.

𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢 @ 50: 𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗕𝗢-𝗜𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘, (𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗚) 𝗖𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗 𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦, 𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗜𝗠𝗢, 𝗕𝗜𝗔𝗚𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞....𝑺𝑬𝑬𝑲𝑺 𝑲𝑼𝑲𝑼, 𝑲𝑬𝑲𝑬𝑴𝑬𝑲𝑬, 𝑶𝑱𝑶𝑮𝑶 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵

𝑨𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑶𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒔, 𝑨𝑰𝑮𝑮 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.

𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘, 𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧, 5𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗘𝗕. 2026.

As Ondo State marks its golden jubilee with fanfare and reflections on five decades of progress, deep anguish and a sense of betrayal trail the celebrations in the riverine communities of Adoloseimo and Biagbini in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, where residents say they have been abandoned by governance and cut off from modern life.

A coalition of youth groups under the banner Arogbo-Ibe For Good Governance (AIGG) has risen in protest against what it described as the persistent neglect of riverine communities, particularly the absence of basic infrastructure such as telecommunications masts and solar-powered street lights.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday,  morning, 4th of February, 2026 during a press briefing at Arogbo, the headquarters of Arogbo LCDA, the President of 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗯𝗼-𝗜𝗯𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗜𝗚𝗚), 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗞𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗶, lamented that while Ondo State celebrates 50 years of existence, Adoloseimo and Biagbini remain trapped in darkness, silence and isolation.

“For us in Adoloseimo and Biagbini, we are completely disconnected from reality and from good governance,” 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 said. “There is no light, no network, no way to make a simple phone call. We live as if we do not belong to this state.”

He decried what he described as a familiar cycle of political deception, noting that promises of solar lights and telecommunications masts are repeatedly made during election campaigns, only to be forgotten once elections are over.

“They come to us during campaigns with sweet words and promises. After elections, we never see them again,” he added.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 expressed disappointment that despite Arogbo-Ibe producing prominent political leaders over the years—including a Deputy Governor, members of the State House of Assembly, Commissioners, and other top federal and state officials—the suffering of Adoloseimo and Biagbini has continued unchecked.

According to him, these communities have consistently delivered thousands of votes and unwavering support, yet remain invisible in the distribution of development and infrastructure.

“It is painful that none of our sons and daughters in positions of authority can remember our plight,” he said. “We supported them, we voted for them, yet our communities are still forgotten.”

In an emotional appeal, the group called on key stakeholders and leaders from the area to urgently intervene. Those mentioned include Snr.High Chf. (Hon.) Kingsley Kemebradigha Kuku, Ph.D, former Amnesty Programme Chairman; Hon. D.I. Kekemeke, Chairman of NIPOST; Hon. Donald Ojogo, Member of the House of Representatives for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Constituency; and other influential sons and daughters of Arogbo-Ibe.

“We are an integral part of Ondo State,” 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 stressed. “We deserve to be seen, heard and developed. We are simply asking for inclusion, dignity and good governance.”

Despite the grim tone of the briefing, the AIGG president also acknowledged and appreciated ongoing efforts by some leaders toward the development of Arogbo-Ibe. He specifically commended Hon. Kingsley Kuku, PhD, for the ongoing construction of a 1,000-seater pavilion in Arogbo, as well as other contributions by Hon. D.I. Kekemeke and Hon. Donald Ojogo, as Ondo State celebrates its 50th anniversary.

As the state reflects on its past and charts a future beyond the golden jubilee, the cries from Adoloseimo and Biagbini stand as a stark reminder that true progress remains incomplete until governance reaches even the most remote riverine communities.