Group urges Diri to curb flood, erosion in Bayelsa communities

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The New Generation Leaders, a sociopolitical group has urged Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa State to tackle ravaging flood and erosion in some communities.

Mr Precious Odede, the organisation’s spokesman, made the call in a statement issued on Friday in Yenagoa.

According to the statement, the people of Obogoro community in Yenagoa Local Government Area (LGA), Anibeze, Elemebiri, Ekperiware and Osifo in Sagbama LGA, including villages in Ekeremor and Kolokuma-Okpokuma LGAs were going through untold hardship caused by the flood.

“The report of erosion depleting our environment is disturbing; erosion though is a natural process that involves the removal of topsoil cover essential for agriculture and other vital purposes.

“In this case, it has destroyed businesses and residential buildings in villages where people live.

“If no urgent response comes from the government, the flood and erosion could cause a whole lot of economic setbacks for the people, especially the situation of Bayelsa, where many communities in the various LGAs have been eroded, leaving a sizable proportion of the state’s population displaced,” Odede stated.

He maintained that erosion, without effective government intervention, will result in wiping out their villages, adding that it is expedient now to call on the government to act.

According to Odede, the continued negligence by the government to tackle the natural menace confronting them for a long time is regrettable.