‘Coastal erosion threatening N’Delta’

A foremost environmentalist, Mr. Alagoa Morris,
has raised the alarm that several coastal
communities in the Niger Delta are facing
imminent extinction due to recurring ocean surge
and coastal erosion.
Morris, the Bayelsa State Coordinator,
Environmental Right Action, expressed concern
that communities’ lands along the coastlines are
washed into the Atlantic Ocean, rivers and creeks
in the region on a daily basis.
The environmentalist, who expressed his fears
through a statement via electronic mail on
Saturday, said the threats cut across
communities in Bayelsa, Ondo, Delta and Rivers
states, among others.
He said, “This threat cuts across such
communities in the Niger Delta from Ondo to
Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, among others.
“Those of us who visit the affected communities
from time to time have no option but to take the
risk of ‘crying more than the bereaved’ as the
communities have lost their voices and
confidence in government to assist them.
“Communities in Bayelsa such as Anibeze in
Sagbama Local Government Area, Peremabiri and
others in Southern Ijaw, Fangbe in Yenagoa LGA,
Anyama and Abobiri in Ogbia LGA, etc. are all
along rivers and seriously threatened by coastal
erosion current.
“The same is the case with other communities in
the state such as Twon-Brass, Okpoama,
Sangana, Odioama in Brass LGA; Koluama 1 and
2, Ekeni, Ezetu in Southern Ijaw, etc. are
threatened by oceanification (ocean
encroachment).”
He added that communities’ lands, school
buildings, roads, burial grounds, farmlands, among
others, were being washed into the water every
now and then.
Morris said the environmental challenge such as
desertification was far beyond what any
community could shoulder.
He, therefore, advocated an effective
collaboration between the LGAs and the state
government in seeking the attention and
assistance of the Federal Government
interventionist agencies like the NDDC and
Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
He regretted that the LGAs seemed not to know
what they were supposed to do in delivering on
the dividends of democracy to the people being
the closest arm of government to the grassroots.
He noted, “Unfortunately too, there is an
abandoned shoreline protection contract awarded
by the NDDC at Sangana in Bayelsa but the fury
of the ocean continues on the shoreline, eating
deeper into the community.
“There is the need for the state governments in
the Niger Delta to give serious attention to
coastal erosion and oceanification with a view to
tackling the menace effectively by taking action
in collaboration with the Federal Government
interventionist agencies.”
Morris said another disturbing development was
the alleged N1tn the Federal Government owed
the NDDC as counterpart funding.
He urged the Federal Government to show good
example to the oil companies and not to leave
everything about community development to
them.
He said the development was another reason for
violence in the region as the government had
been shirking its responsibility to develop the
communities.