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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A massive landslide has destroyed seven buildings in the Obogoro community situated along the Ikoli River in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The incident which occurred over the weekend has thrown the community into mourning over the fate that would befall other buildings in the community.
Obogoro community has made a number of distress calls to the state government for immediate action to save the community.
The community’s deputy paramount ruler, His Highness Gwegwe Righteous Diemeze, disclosed that on Saturday the landslide first claimed five houses while two more houses were claimed on Sunday.
The local ruler, who lamented that the hopes of the community that help would come to them when Governor Douye Diri visited the community a few months ago to see the state of erosion, has been dashed as nothing positive had come from the state government.
Diemeze seized the opportunity to once again draw the attention of the federal and state governments to the plight of the Obogoro community, stressing that they are being threatened and gradually at the brink of extinction.
Recently representatives of the community were at the National Assembly to appear before the federal lawmakers to plead their case for intervention.
Sources say some residents of the community are considering relocating because they have been left to their fate.
Previous landslides affecting the community had claimed the National Youth Service Corps members’ lodge (Corper’s lodge), and the community primary school, including Headmaster’s quarters. The football field and several classrooms have also been washed into the Ikoli River.
It was also learnt that since St Paul Primary School, located in Famgbe, a neighbouring community, that would have served as an alternative for pupils has long been washed into the river, children from Obogoro are now being forced to travel far to acquire basic education.
Reports also have it that vast farmlands with crops worth hundreds of thousands of naira have been lost to erosion. This has impacted negatively on the people as their main source of livelihood has been affected.
