From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
As rains intensified in several parts of Bayelsa State in recent days, the Bayelsa State Government has appealed for help from the Federal Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and other well-meaning organisations to support the state in addressing the twin problems of flooding and coastal erosion.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call at an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting with the Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control, local government chairmen, and other critical stakeholders in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor, Mr Doubara Atasi, stated that Ewhrudjakpo’s appeal for support is due to the devastation being suffered by several coastal communities and the high capital intensity of embarking on sustainable shoreline projects across the state.
Ewhrudjakpo, who described Bayelsa as a state with the longest coastline and the headquarters of flooding in the country, lamented that communities, particularly along the Atlantic Ocean, were being washed away by coastal erosion every year.
He commended the NDDC for some of its projects in the state and the Niger Delta region, stressing that the interventionist agency needs to collaborate with the state government in the execution of more impactful projects.
“We know there are competing needs all over the country. But we want to appeal to the Federal Government and the NDDC to pay special attention to Bayelsa. Our communities are being washed away by coastal erosion.
“When we talk about flooding, Bayelsa is the headquarters of flooding in this country because there is no year that our communities are free of flooding. We are used to it; that is why we are not making noise like others,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Government has directed its Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control to expedite action on opening up more major drainage canals and dredging sand at specified locations for temporary camps, as the 2025 flood season gets underway.
It also directed the directorate to make assessment visits to communities, including Akenfa-Epie, Tombia, and other areas it has designated “flood flashpoints” as part of measures to mitigate the impact of flooding across the state.
Emphasising the urgency of opening up all blocked drainages and canals in the state capital and environs, the Deputy Governor told the directorate to immediately commence work on sand-filling the flood relief camps at Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area and Obirigbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area.
On the issue of temporary flooding in the Igbogene axis of the state capital resulting from ongoing sand-filling of the new stadium, Senator Ewhrudjakpo also directed the flood directorate, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, and his sports counterpart to visit the area and report back to the government for necessary remediation action.