The Itsekiri Environmental Protection Initiative (IEPI) has called on the Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), to take appropriate action to address dire situation currently unfolding in the Itsekiri community of Ogheye, and her adjoining communities of Ekekporo and Eketie, all located in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
In a petition titled: “An Open and Urgent Call to Save Ogheye, Ekekporo and Eketie Communities from Ocean Surge and Environmental Degradation” and endorsed by Ojumude Tosan Bishop and Egere Weyinmi, the IEPI Coordinator and Secretary respectively, the group lamented that Ogheye is being relentlessly washed away by a devastating ocean surge. It described the development as “a disaster fuelled by environmental degradation and exacerbated by climate change and oil exploration activities”.
The IEPI submitted: “The impact of this ocean surge has been severe and unyielding, with the communities facing the imminent threat of losing their homes, ancestral lands, and livelihoods where many sophisticated buildings and other structures have been washed away into the Atlantic Ocean, thereby rendering the people homeless as many seek refuge in other communities.
“The once thriving and vibrant community is now on the brink of destruction and extinction, with its people living in constant fear of the next wave of erosion that could sweep away everything they hold dear.”
The organisation noted that the Ogheye community, which is one of the major economic hubs of the south-western part of Delta State and Nigeria, is by the Atlantic shore where aquatic products were traded by Itsekiris, Ilajes, Ijaws, and many others, including Ghanaians and Benenios, who were foreign fishermen.
Bishop and Weyinmi stated that the immediate past Delta State administration led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa completed and commissioned the Ogheye floating market, “but unfortunately, the community that harbours the much talked about market is presently under environmental threat”.
The IEPI officials disclosed that other neighbouring communities, such as Ekekporo and Eketie, “suffered a worse fate as they are currently almost 80% washed into the ocean by the same surge with zero attention from relevant authorities”.
They stated: “We call for mitigation measures to be put in place to help save the lives of habitats of the communities and protect their properties as the situation in these communities requires swift and coordinated action such as the implementation of coastal protection measures, providing necessary relocation assistance, and enforcing sustainable environmental practices that will prevent further degradation most especially by the crude oil multinational corporations operating in the locality.
“We implore all relevant stakeholders to rise to the occasion and provide the much-needed intervention to save our people from this looming catastrophe.
“We urgently appeal to the Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) to take appropriate action as this is part of the reason for their existence. Also, the Delta State Government humbly led by Sheriff Francis Oborevwori.
“Not leaving out the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Delta State Commissioner for Environment, DESOPADEC, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NNPCL, Nigeria Public Complaint Commission (NPCC), all multinational corporations involved in oil exploration in the locality, and other stakeholders to rise to the occasion, intervene immediately, and provide the much-needed intervention to save our people from this looming catastrophe.”
