The Senate has moved to address the decades-long erosion threatening the existence of Obogoro Community in Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, following a motion sponsored by Senator Konbowei Benson Friday.
The motion, which highlights the devastating effects of shoreline erosion on the community, calls on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to urgently intervene through the provision of shoreline protection and relief materials for victims of flooding and erosion.
Speaking with journalists after the Senate considered the motion, Senator Konbowei said the people of Obogoro had endured the environmental challenge for more than 30 years, despite repeated appeals to successive governments and relevant authorities for assistance.
He said the community’s chiefs, elders, youths and women had approached him with a letter seeking the Senate’s intervention in the worsening erosion crisis.
According to him, the situation has continued to deteriorate, with residential buildings, public infrastructure and other essential facilities washed away by advancing waters.
“Law-making is not all about the senator or the legislator. Law-making is about you and the people. If the people have issues and problems, it is your place to bring them up to the Senate for discussion, and that is what I have done,” he said.
The senator lamented that the erosion had destroyed the community’s public primary school compound, church building and several residential houses, leaving residents exposed to further displacement and loss of property.
He noted that the destruction of the school compound was particularly significant because it was one of the first landmarks visitors encountered when entering the community.
Konbowei expressed concern that, despite the community’s persistent efforts to draw the attention of government authorities to the problem, little had been done to provide a lasting solution.
He disclosed that several letters written by the community had been acknowledged by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Ecological Project Office and other relevant offices, but the erosion had continued unabated.
The lawmaker recalled that the problem had persisted across successive administrations, noting that even Senator Abdul Ningi had spoken about the community’s plight and visited the area during his time in the House of Representatives.
He said the Senate’s consideration of the motion had raised hopes that the long-standing environmental challenge would finally receive the attention it deserved.
According to him, the Senate leadership, including the President of the Senate, the Deputy President of the Senate and other principal officers, had been tasked with taking up the matter to ensure that it received urgent attention.
Konbowei expressed optimism that the intervention could lead to the inclusion of shoreline protection projects for Obogoro in the appropriate budget, paving the way for their implementation by the relevant agencies.
He, however, lamented that residents had yet to receive meaningful relief, despite the severity of the crisis.
The senator said he had also contacted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which requested a formal letter concerning the situation. He added that he had submitted the letter and was awaiting a response.
Under the resolutions proposed in the motion, the Senate urged the Federal Government, particularly the Ecological Project Office, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Niger Delta Development Commission, to urgently address the erosion through the construction of shoreline protection infrastructure.
It also called on NEMA to provide relief materials to residents affected by the recurring flooding and erosion disaster.
The motion noted that approximately 300 people had been rendered homeless in recent times, while the destruction of the primary school buildings, school field, Youth Corps members’ lodge and community playground had further disrupted communal life.
It also highlighted reports of deaths and drownings associated with the erosion, describing the situation as a threat to the lives, livelihoods and continued existence of the community.
The motion further observed that the annual flood season worsened the crisis as rising river waters accelerated the loss of land, destroyed property and progressively reduced the community’s ancestral territory.
Senator Konbowei warned that the challenge extended beyond the destruction of buildings and infrastructure, stressing that the loss of ancestral land threatened the community’s identity, culture and ability to sustain its traditional way of life.
He also drew attention to other communities facing similar environmental challenges, including Odi, which he said was also experiencing erosion.
The senator said Obogoro’s immediate plight had prompted him to bring the matter before the Senate, expressing hope that the legislative intervention would translate into concrete action.
He called for urgent and sustained government intervention to protect the community from further destruction and prevent the loss of its ancestral homeland.
