By Oyagiri Chime
Residents of Otuokpoti Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria are living in palpable fear over possible extinction from erosion, which resurfaced 37 years of freedom from the menace.
The landslide which occurred in the early hours of 21st of October, 2019, sent panic to residents and indigenes alike as they had believed that the community had overcome the dual challenges of erosion and flood after the intervention of the old Rivers State government led by Chief Sen. Melford Okilo of blessed memory.
A resident, who craved anonymity recalled that, before the intervention through dredging and piling of the community’s water front which brought reprieve to residents, the erosion usually claim houses with property.”The ravaging erosion and flood made residents of the community to contemplate relocating to the other side of the river, however, the dredging arrested the situation . The community had be erosion and flood -free for the last 37 years”.
“This community is sitting on sand, if nothing is done, houses and people will be washed off by the erosion, which has resurfaced.” he appealed. Another resident, blamed the resurgence of the erosion to the flouting of the directive given by the company which handled the dredging of the community at that time.
According to him, “The company directed that heavy vehicles should not be allowed to move on the road constructed close to the water front, noting that that directive has been flouted as sand dealers freely move with heavy vehicles on the road. The source also blamed the erosion on the heavy dredging of sand close to the community, which may have drawn the sand used to fill the water front.
Meanwhile, an indegene of the community, Mr Richard James is still yet to come to terms with the losses he incurred from the erosion which consumed his machines and other items.
Mr James, who said he never suspected the incident, revealed he returned from neighbouring communities around 12am where he had gone to buy palmfruits on the day of the incident, only for his palm oil and cassava processing machines and other items to be consumed by the erosion, few hours later.
He called on government to come to the aid of the community and forestall further damage on the town.
Attempts to reach the Paramount Ruler proved abortive as he was said to be in a crucial meeting at the time of filing this report.
