River Niger may wipe out Anibeze, a community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, if State and Federal Government authorities do not take immediate action to remedy its erosion problems.

Already, the famous river that stretched across many communities of West Africa has expanded its width eating deep into Anibeze environment.

Speaking to newsmen in Yenagoa on the issue, the chairman of Anibeze Patriotic Front, Chief Walter Akeni said the situation has gone from bad to worse and the people are now desperate to get the needed assistance to alleviate their plight.

Chief Akeni, a Yenagoa based lawyer pointed out that unless urgent steps were taken to halt the erosion menace, Anibeze community will be wiped out when the dredging of the Lower River Niger commences.

He lamented that the community had suffered untold marginalisation since the Federal Government began moves to dredge the River Niger but the people cannot sit idle as the issue has serious implications on their future.

But he explained that the community was still exploiting available avenues for support from the state government stressing that it is a good thing that Governor Seriake Dickson has pledged to address the issue of community development.

According to him, Anibeze community voted massively for the governor and they are making concerted efforts to reach him and let him know the desperate situation that the unmitigated erosion menace has placed the riverine community.

Apart from the state government, the community is still seeking assistance from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), environmental groups and development agencies.

Chief Akeni disclosed that since the erosion worsened in the early 90s, the community had been reaching out to the governments and relevant agencies to come to their aid to no avail.

Some of the institutions the community approached included the defunct Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), old Rivers State Government, Bayelsa State Government, Sagbama Local Government Council, NDDC and various multinational organisations, donor groups and non-governmental organisations.

Anibeze is an Isoko speaking minority community in Bayelsa State but the outspoken legal practitioner said he did not want to believe that the people’s minority status has anything to do with the glaring marginalization.

“We will not relent in our efforts to get succour for our people. There is nothing like home and when your home is threatened, then you realize you have a great burden. In our case, we are hoping and praying that somebody somewhere will hear our cry for help,” he stated.