Reps Want Coastal Emergency Commission

Two members of the House of Representatives from Rivers state are set to alert the House, about the current threat of annihilation facing coastal communities in the state due to the activities of climate change which results to rise in sea level ,

Disclosing this in an interview with The Tide recently in the House of Representatives, Hon.Bright Tamuno Gogo, representing Okrika/ Ogu/Bolo federal constituency said Rivers state cannot afford to close its eyes to the continued threat of annihilation of its communities so he and a colleague of his, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency have resolved to draw the attention of the federal government to it, through a motion,

According to Hon Gogo, “You know most part of Rivers state are coastal in nature . Due to the activities of climate change, there is general rise of the sea in most communities. We want to bring that to the attention of the National Assembly before any eventuality (occurs). We are looking at a situation wherby shore protection and other preventive measures will be put in place to ensure we don’t suffer the extinction of any community in Rivers state because so many communities are actually threatened”.

Hon. Gogo said the communities include Bonny, Opobo, Okrika and Andoni, warning that “If corrective measures are not taken urgently, you’ll find out that in the nearest future because the sea is rising while the land is depressing without you addressing this threat, especially in the spring tide, most of these communities will be washed away”.

Hon Gogo, a first-timer and member of Education; Procurement; Arm;, Rural development; Labour, Employment and Productivity, and House services in the House, said they want to do things to quicken the federal government to take immediate action on the situation, which should include the setting up of a special commission to address the challenges posed by the annihilation threat.

“You know we don’t have any Coastal Emergency Commission, we have NEMA and Ecological Fund but they are not addressing this peculiar problem of coastal communities so there is need for the establishment of a Coastal Emergency Commission,” he emphasized , recalling that recently there was an upsurge of the Atlantic ocean at Lekki, Lagos which washed away part of the community’s land and was threatening the continued existence of the community.

Hon Gogo appealed to the authorities not to wait till Rivers state communities start having the Lekki experience before measures are taken to prevent the communities from being submerged.

Justus Awaji, Abuja