RIVER EROSION PUTS BAYELSA COMMUNITY AT RISK

Residents of Obogoro Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State are calling for urgent government intervention as erosion along the Ekoli River continues to destroy homes, farmlands and public facilities.

According to residents, more than 200 houses have been lost to the advancing river over several years, while a primary school, football field, NYSC lodge and ancestral burial grounds have also been affected. Recent heavy rainfall has reportedly worsened the situation, causing more sections of the riverbank to collapse. 

Some residents have already relocated from areas considered vulnerable, while others remain concerned about losing their homes as the river continues to encroach on the community.

The Epie-Atissa Peoples Congress said only a fraction of the original community remained, urging the Bayelsa State Government, Federal Government and Niger Delta Development Commission to intervene.

Residents also alleged that a shoreline protection project awarded by the state government was abandoned after work began. They are now seeking a comprehensive shoreline protection and reclamation project rather than temporary measures.

They said petitions had been submitted to lawmakers seeking federal intervention and appealed for assistance for families displaced by the erosion.

The residents warned that without urgent action, more homes, farmland and community facilities could be lost to the river.