The Olusegun Okanlawon Foundation (OOF) has taken a bold step to make life easy for the good people of Ibarapaland by its decision to dig nine (9) motorized boreholes and rehabilitation of at least 20 more across the zone.
The drive towards the wonderful, yet laudable project is the hardship that the people of this zone face during the dry season.
While giving an account of his tour to Ibarapa, which propelled the move, the founder of OOF, Engr. (Dr.) Olusegun Okanlawon said that water, which is a basic need of every living entity was lacking in that settlement.
According to him, “The only available source of eater was a flowing stream. The stream was unhealthy; it was light green, both humans and their animals drank from this stream which exposed them to different water-borne diseases.
“We decided that the first and most important intervention here was to solve the water problem. We made urgent repairs to abandoned boreholes and promised to build a new and better system.
“Building on that foundation, and seeing the water hardship our people face during dry season, we proposed to do more. I am happy to announce our new motorized borehole project.
“We are constructing 9 new motorized boreholes and repair/rehabilitate at least 20 more across Ibarapa land,” he said.
He further stated the modalities at which the new boreholes will be constructed and the rehabilitation of over 20 spoilt ones will be done.
He said “Three of the 9 new motorized boreholes would be situated at Idere: one is dedicated to the farm dwellers of Abola/Jagun settlements; one is dedicated to the beloved memory of my grandfather, Late Pa Emmanuel Ishola Okanlawon, the chairman of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) during the then Ifelodun local government, and would be situated in my (Okanlawon’s) family house. The last one would be dedicated to households around Femadex Hotels, being the neighbourhood of my country home.
“It is well known that residents of these three areas find it difficult to get good water, walking great distance before they can fetch water, especially in dry seasons.
“Four (4) abandoned/spoilt boreholes would be rehabilitated at other locations in Idere.
We will construct one new motorised borehole in each of Eruwa, Lanlate, Igboora, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan. We will repair and rehabilitate three (3) boreholes in each of these towns.
“We are working to identify the locations for each of these new and rehabilitated boreholes.
We will work with the benefitting neighbourhoods to develop a maintenance/sustainability system that will ensure that these boreholes can serve the communities for long” he concluded.
