𝗦𝗢 𝗦𝗔𝗗: 𝗢𝗦𝗢𝗣𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗖 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗣𝗨𝗧𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗣𝗦𝗘.𝑨𝑺 𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑱𝑬/𝑬𝑺𝑬-𝑶𝑫𝑶 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺 𝑫𝑬𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑼𝑹𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑮𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑵𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵, 𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑩𝑳𝑬 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑯𝑨𝑼𝑳.....𝑺𝒂𝒚𝒔 "𝑾𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔"......"𝑰𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆"........"𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑩𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 "

𝗦𝗢 𝗦𝗔𝗗: 𝗢𝗦𝗢𝗣𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗖 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗣𝗨𝗧𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗣𝗦𝗘.

𝑨𝑺 𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑱𝑬/𝑬𝑺𝑬-𝑶𝑫𝑶 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺 𝑫𝑬𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑼𝑹𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑮𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑵𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵, 𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑩𝑳𝑬 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑯𝑨𝑼𝑳

.....𝑺𝒂𝒚𝒔 "𝑾𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔"

......"𝑰𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆"

........"𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑩𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 "

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

𝗢𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁,

6𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗯. 2026.

Residents of oil-producing communities in Ondo State under the mandate of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) have expressed deep anger and total disappointment over the worsening internal crisis rocking the agency, describing it as a disgraceful betrayal of the commission’s developmental mandate.

The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (OSOPADEC) was established in 2001 with the primary mandate to rehabilitate, develop, and transform the socio-economic landscape of the oil-producing communities in Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas. It manages 40% of the 13% oil derivation funds to Ondo State in order to provide infrastructure (roads, schools, health centers, water), economic empowerment, and human capital development. 

However findings by NigerDelta Voice, Ondo State Correspondent, revealed that OSOPADEC, has instead been crippled by internal disputes, financial recklessness, and administrative instability, a situation residents say has continued to paralyse meaningful development since the inception of the Prince Otabiyi Olaleye Poroye-led chairmanship last year.

Community stakeholders lamented that rather than focusing on the pressing needs of the people—such as roads, healthcare, education, clean water and employment opportunities—the commission has allegedly been distracted by unending infighting, accusations, counteraccusations and financial controversies.

This dissatisfaction was further heightened recently following heated allegations and counter-allegations of financial mismanagement exchanged between the OSOPADEC Chairman, Prince Olabiyi Olaleye Poroye and the Secretary, Mrs. Abike Bayo-Ilawole a development that stakeholders describe as embarrassing, reckless and damaging to the integrity of the commission.

According to community leaders and concerned citizens of Ondo State from the mandate areas, the disturbing exchange has once again exposed what they called the deep rot and leadership failure within the commission, warning that OSOPADEC is gradually becoming a battlefield of personal interests rather than a platform for community development.

“We Are Tired of 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀” — ILAJE/ESE-ODO Residents

Speaking through concerned youth leaders and community representatives, the residents of Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local governments of Ondo State condemned the leadership crisis, insisting that the oil-producing areas cannot continue to suffer while those entrusted with the commission allegedly engage in internal warfare.

They noted that OSOPADEC has failed to deliver on key projects and developmental expectations, while the commission’s image has been dragged into public ridicule due to internal disorder.

“This commission was created to develop our communities, not to become a theatre of shame. We are tired of excuses. We are tired of propaganda. We are tired of internal fights while our roads remain death traps and our communities remain abandoned,” a Community Leader from Ese-Odo who simply Identify himself as Paul Ebiwei stated.

Call for Immediate Intervention, Restructuring

The angry residents from the mandate areas therefore called on the Ondo State Government and relevant authorities to urgently intervene before the commission collapses completely under the weight of internal sabotage.

They demanded a thorough probe of activities within OSOPADEC, stressing that the agency must be rescued from what they described as self-inflicted administrative crisis and alleged financial recklessness.

Residents further urged the state government to consider a total restructuring of the commission, including a possible change in leadership and key strategic positions, in order to restore focus, credibility and performance.

“If They Can’t Deliver, They Should Leave”

In a stern warning, stakeholders declared that if the current leadership cannot work in unity and deliver developmental projects, then they should honourably step aside for competent hands.

“If they cannot manage OSOPADEC, then they should leave. We cannot continue to suffer in oil-producing communities while those in office are busy fighting themselves. We need leaders with vision, discipline and accountability,” another community source who pleaded anonymity for security reasons declared.

Mandate Must Not Be Destroyed

Residents from the mandate areas emphasized that OSOPADEC remains a critical institution meant to serve the oil-producing areas, and allowing the commission to be crippled by internal conflicts would amount to institutional failure and collective punishment against the people.

They called for urgent reforms that will restore transparency, unity and productivity in the commission, warning that failure to act now may deepen mistrust, worsen underdevelopment and trigger further public outrage.

As the crisis continues to generate public attention, stakeholders from Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Area insist that the time has come for His Excellency, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa  and other government authorities to save OSOPADEC from collapse, stating clearly that the commission must return to its primary purpose—development, not dispute.