The Government of Bayelsa State has called on all relevant federal authorities and development partners to complement its efforts in tackling erosion and other ecological problems facing the state.
Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call when the paramount ruler, King Monday Theophilus Igodo, chiefs and other stakeholders of Obogoro Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area paid him a courtesy call in Government House.
He noted that as a coastal state that is entirely below sea level, almost all the communities are suffering the devastating effect of erosion by losing scarce land, and other valuable property to the menace every year.
He particularly empathized with the people of Obogoro, where half of the community including government primary school and several residential houses were said to have been washed away by erosion.
Describing the situation in Obogoro and other communities as pathetic, the Deputy Governor urged the Federal Government to deploy a fair share of the Ecological Fund to providing shoreline protection projects in the state, noting it is beyond the state government to bear the responsibility alone.
He, however, disclosed that the state government had, in fulfilment of its promise, already awarded the contract for a canalization project at Obogoro as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of erosion in the community.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who appealed for patience on the part of the people, noted that the contractor would be mobilized to site as soon as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) exercise was concluded.
While sympathizing with those who had and are about to lose their houses to the landslide in the community, he promised that the state government would take necessary steps to provide them temporary accommodation.
The Deputy Governor also warned the people of the state not to allow dredging activities in their communities without reports of feasibility studies and EIAs, stressing that the worsening erosion challenge in Obogoro was being caused by indiscriminate sand mining along the Ekole River.
“We are calling on our elder brother (Federal Government) to show responsibility by deploying the Ecological Fund to assist us in fighting against erosion and other natural disasters facing us as a state. Most of our communities are being washed away on a yearly basis.But apart from the natural forces behind the disaster, the problem (erosion) can also be blamed on the collective negligence and compromise of both the people and government regulatory bodies, like the Ministry of Environment.
”We failed to take necessary steps to stop the sand dredging. I can tell you, though without scientific evidence, that what is happening to Obogoro now may not be unconnected with sand dredging activities that have been taking place there on the Ekole river”, he said.
“As you dredge, you are extracting the sand underneath, thereby causing the land to be porous and sliding. I don’t think anybody carried an EIA before that dredging took place. On our part, the Bayelsa State Government has already awarded the canalization project we promised some few months ago to address the problem. I am very sure it is an issue of trying to dot the i’s and crossing the t’s, that is why the project has not taken off. I want to appeal that you give us some time”, he added.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Iselema Gbaranbiri, also attributed the devastating erosion at Obogoro to massive sand mining, noting that he had earlier ordered the stoppage of dredging activities in the area.
He said the slight delay in the take-off of the canalization project was caused by the ongoing EIA as government would not commit the mistake those carrying out dredging in the state were making by conducting their operations without proper studies.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa