Erosion sacks 7, 000 in Governor Okowa’s town, other communities in Delta

No fewer than 7, 000 persons have been sacked by ravaging erosion in Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s home-town, Boji Boji Owa as well as Benikrukru, Abraka, Agbor and Ugbolu in Delta State, Fresh Angle International checks have revealed.

Our Delta North Correspondent reports that the erosion has affected farm crops and houses, even as in Benikrukru community, Warri South-West Local Government Area, over 300 residents are reported to have been rendered homeless and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

It was gathered that in Boji Boji Owa, Ika North-East Local Government Area, parts of Abraka in Ethiope East Local Government Area and Asaba, the Delta State Capital, the erosion menace have been a source of worry to residents for the past 30 years and several appeals made to past and present administrations in the state to address the problem met brick wall.

Spokesman of Benikrukru Community, Mr. Solomon Eris who spoke to Our Correspondent, appealed to multinational oil companies and interventionist agencies like Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, the Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC, DESOPADEC and the State Government to come to their aid, saying, “the erosion menace has taken over our community despite playing host to Chevron, we are brutally neglected, we need government’s attention to the menace, our crops, houses destroyed, we have no food to eat again.”

Further investigation revealed that the rapid flow of high pressure of the running water during and after the rains, often threaten lives of the people in Boji Boji Owa, parts of Asaba and Abraka as it deposit volumes of sand that submerges many of the residential buildings in the areas.

Worried by the dangerous trend of the erosion water, especially within Abraka and adjoining streets, the Delta State Government through the Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye has commenced process of addressing the environmental problem with the ongoing construction of 1, 400 meter-long mega drainage system.

The drainage system, according to the Commissioner when completed, will address the deadly environmental challenge, pointing out that the proactive measure may be thwarted by non-compliance with the state sanitation laws.

Fresh Angle International checks revealed that dumping of refuse into the drainage systems by residents of Boji Boji Owa and their neighbours in Agbor, have worsened the erosion problem.

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