‘Despite nature’s blessings, we live in dejection’, Osun community laments

The inhabitants of Atorin, a village housed by Atakunmosa East Local Government Area ( now Atakumosa East Central LCDA) of Osun state, reflect every moment and day, as whether the social contract advocated by Thomas Hobbes, the great philosopher of the ancient time, has been breached. As every partnership agreement are parties to it, so the government and the citizens form the contractual agreement to the Hobbesian law of social contract.

Atorin, the birthplace of late African warlord and the saviour of the Ijesha people, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro successfully accommodates no fewer than nine communities which included Temidayo, Olowu, Opesubu, Alapaede,  Ayealuko, Aye oke,  Oloko rebete among others.

According to the community, the contract is everlasting and monumental, so long the popular sovereign government respect the sanctity of the contract, and, thereby, provide the necessities for the citizenry. The necessities are expected to be directed towards absolute maximization of pleasure and minimization of various forms of pains.

Despite nature’s blessings and agricultural prospect, particularly the large deposit of ‘precious metal ‘ popularly known as gold buried in the bowels of Atorin rich soil , which has attracted the activities of illegal miners, the village appears to have been forgotten, as its people languish in relative obscurity.

Because of its arable land, the major occupation of the inhabitants is agriculture as they grow both cash crops ( Cocoa, Teak) and food crops such as cassava, maize, yam, among others.

Sadly, Atorin people are suffering in the midst of abundance.

The village, connected by a deplorable earth road that leads from Ifewara is not only hilly, but  dusty and disfigured with steep inclines that cause serious headache to those plying the route. Rainy season is always a period of pain for the inhabitants.

The  road has been destroyed by years of neglect and trucks conveying agricultural produce to the market break down often due to the deplorable road. While the dwellers battle for survival without potable drinking water,  they also lacks community health center.

Our reporter, who visited the settlement sighted an abandoned water project which was converted to a well; the only source of drinking water.

In a related development, the only existing health centre, facilitated by Hon. Israel Famurewa, a two term Federal House of Representatives member,  who hails from Atorin Village is yet to be completed and equipped with both personnel, furniture, drugs and medical equipments.

Famurewa represented Atakunmosa East/ Atakunmosa West/Ilesha East/ Federal Constituency between 2011-2019 . During his tenure, he facilitated a block of 3 classroom to LA Elementary School, the only school in the village and a transformer.

Unfortunately,the Alatorin of Atorin (King) recently joined his ancestors, but the Women leader (Yeye Lobirin) and the Youth leader (Olori Omo Atorin) narrated their sufferings. They both cried out loud to any ‘messiah’ who could save them from their present predicament, especially infrastructural deficits and total neglect.

The women leader, Mrs Bolanle Ojo lamented hardship resulting from the dilapidated state of the only major road leading to the settlement. According to her, the bad state of the road had made commuting unbearable for them.

She lamented further, “We are not happy with the deplorable condition of our road, this is really affecting us seriously. It is difficult for us  to evacuate our farm produce to the urban communities. In fact, we cannot go to the market during the rainy season to sell our produce at Ifewara or Sabo market in Ilesha.

” We have not seen any government impact in Atorin and this neglect signified total disregard for the memories of Ogedengbe Agbogungboro who is described as the saviour of the Ijesha people. Despite nature’s blessings, we live in dejection”, Ojo added.

The Youth leader, Ayeni Ayodele also decried the living condition of his people, just as he called on the Gboyega Oyetola led Osun state government to help the community. Ayeni, however called on the well meaning sons and daughters of the town, particularly the Ogedengbes to rescue them from untoward hardship they are currently facing.

Mr. Busuyi Makanjuola, the council chairman of Atakumosa East Central LCDA could not be reached as he didn’t respond to telephone calls  when contacted for his reactions