Age-Long Erosion Menace Sacks 7, 000 in Agbor and other Towns in Delta

By Ameachi Prosper

Asaba: Age-long Erosion Menace ravaging some communities (Beninkrukru, Boji Boji owa, Abraka, Agbor, Ugbolu) in Delta State has sacked no fewer than 7, 000 persons in the areas.

Expectedly, the victims, investigation revealed, have also had their houses including farm crops destroyed by the sweeping erosion water. In Benikrukru community, Warri South Local Government Area of the state for instance, over 300 residents have been rendered homeless and their property worth millions of naira destroyed.

It was gathered that in Boji Boji owa, part of Abraka and Asaba communities, the erosion menace had been source of worries to its residents in the past thirty years who claimed they have made several appeals to the past and present administration in the state to come to their aid but to no avail.

Speaking to our reporter, Benikrukru community spokesman, Mr. Solomon Eris appealed to multinational oil companies Chevron Nigeria Limited, the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), DESOPADEC and the state government to come to their aid, adding that “The Erosion Menace has taken over our community despite playing host to Chevron, we are brutally neglected, we need government’s attention to the menace, our crops, houses destroyed, we have no food to eat again”.

Further investigation revealed that the rapid flow of high pressure of the running water during and after rains, often threaten lives of the people in Boji Boji owa, parts of Asaba and Abraka as it deposits volume of sand that will cover and sink many of the residential buildings in the areas. Worried by the dangerous trend of the erosion water, especially within Abraka and adjoining streets, the state government through the Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye has commenced process of addressing the environmental problem with the ongoing construction of 1, 400 mater long mega drainage system.

The drainage system, according to the commissioner who spoke to our reporter, when completed, will address the deadly environmental challenge, pointing out the proactive measures may be thwarted by non-compliance with the state sanitation laws by defaulters who had formed the habit of dumping filth indiscriminately into the drainage systems.

Some of the victims who also spoke to our reporter called on the state government to provide them temporary assistance that will help them out of their predicaments, lamenting that they have lost all their belongings to the flood menace. One of them, Patrick Obonor said: “I have lost everything I have to the erosion menace; I want government to come to our aid”.

Dumping of refuse into the drainage systems by the residents of Boji Boji owa and their neighbours in Agbor, has worsened the erosion problem in the including that of Abraka market road where the unevacuated dumps emit offensive odour.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recently presented relief materials worth millions of naira to victims of the Bonga Oil spills five years after.

Bonga oil spills five years ago wreaked monumental ecological and environmental damage with no fewer than 350 oil bearing communities and satellite villages along the shoreline of Delta/Bayelsa State.

But the affected communities in Delta State were drawn from Warri North, Warri South and Burutu Local Government areas and were presented with relief materials to include; mattresses, clothing and consumables.

Handing over the relief materials to a team of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) led by the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Chika Ossai, the Zonal Co-ordinator NEMA, Mr. James Eze, urged the state government and leaders of the affected communities to avoid scrambling the materials and ensure that they get to those in dire of need of them.

He explained that the delivery formed the bulk of the materials succor which the federal government had promised to give to the affected communities as part of efforts to ameliorate their plight, which resulted from the crude oil spills that happened about half a decade ago.

Meanwhile, the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has been commended for defying all odds to construct road projects in riverine  communities of the state inspite of the economic recession.

Residents of Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu kingdom,Warri Southwest local government area made the commendation during an inspection tour of the 1.5 kilometres Main Axial road by the state commissioner for Works,Chief James Augoye.

The Works commissioner said the administration of Gov Okowa is poised at developing the all parts of the state in spite hence the recorded giant developmental strides.

Chief Augoye commended the Okerenkoko community for supporting Governor Okowa and their peaceful disposition towards the contracting firm adding that no meaningful development would thrive in an atmosphere of rancour.

He expressed satisfaction at the pace and quality of work noting that houses on the right of way would be demolished and the owners duly compensated.

While stressing that the road on completion would boost the socio-economic economic life of the Okerenkoko people,the works commissioner pointed out that the drains on the road were designed to allow free flow of water in and out of the community.

The 1.5km concrete road pavements,  has double box culverts, a bridge and offloading points for easy discharge of goods from boats and badges.

The Chairman of  Okerenkoko community, Chief James Tangbowe and others who spoke thanked Governor Okowa for the road and appealed for the completion of the abandoned road project connecting Okerenkoko/ Kokodiagbene to other communities.