BAYELSA: Ogbia youths lament devastating erosion in Anyama community
…Call for help from government, interventionist agencies
The Ogbia Brotherhood Youth Council, (OBYC) worldwide, the apex youth organization in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has lamented the devastating effect caused by erosion in Anyama community.
The youths on a working tour to the area led by its National President, Comr. Johnny Jonathan, decried the situation, saying something has to be done to save the community from being completely annihilated.
Jonathan told newsmen after the tour that the visit was for them to see, firsthand, the recent erosion which washed away more buildings into the Ekole River.
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He said: “We are here to see for ourselves the level of devastation as a result of another coastal erosion. This is just one amongst too many destructions, causing grievous wearing away of the soil along the affected community shoreline.
“The situation has brought untold hardship to the people as the environment, revenue potentials, agricultural activities, culture, social and economic life has been negatively affected.”
While expressing pain over the ugly development, the youth leader stated that the future of the community is not known with the recurring environmental disaster and called for urgent measures to address the situation.
According to him, “regrettably, while we have interventionist agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Ecological Fund, amongst others to effect the awards, execution and prompt completion of shoreline protection projects as seen in the affected communities, our lands have continued to witness such devastating and monumental loses.”
The OBYC leader, therefore, called on the Federal Government, the Bayelsa State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Niger Delta Ministry, and other relevant bodies to effect mitigation and remediation measures to cushion the far-reaching effects of the shoreline erosion.
The youths also met with the leadership of the community and expressed their sympathy, urging the residents to remain calm as they seek ways to build synergy and support to address the issue as well as bring collective development.
Also speaking, the Spokesman of the youth council, Comr. Okala Christian, said the people are suffering and need immediate help from all quarters.
Some of the public structures affected by the coastal erosion scenes were the Magistrate Court, Police post, Concrete landing jetty, and the Anglican Church, among others.
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