Reps urge FG to save Bayelsa community from erosion

File photo: House of Representatives

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to provide budgetary support to control the devastating erosion ravaging Odi Kingdom in Bayelsa State, amid fears that the historic Ijaw community could face extinction if immediate remedial measures are not taken.

The call was made in a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Oboku Oforji at a plenary session on Tuesday.

This is even as the House urged the FG to deploy relevant agencies to tackle the environmental crisis threatening homes, farmlands, public infrastructure and livelihoods in the community.

According to the motion, Odi Kingdom, one of the oldest Ijaw settlements in Bayelsa State, has suffered intensified shoreline erosion since an earth tremor reportedly struck the community in 2025, accelerating the destruction of buildings and other vital assets.

The motion warned that the erosion was consuming portions of the community daily, leaving residents exposed to displacement, poverty and further environmental hazards.

It described the situation as an existential threat to Odi Kingdom, calling for immediate federal intervention to prevent further destruction.

The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Ecological Project Office and other relevant agencies to conduct an emergency assessment and commence permanent shoreline protection, erosion control and land reclamation projects.

The motion also called for adequate budgetary provisions for comprehensive environmental restoration and shoreline stabilisation works.

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“The persistent erosion continues to consume large portions of the community on a daily basis, threatening lives, livelihoods, critical infrastructure, and the very existence of Odi Kingdom,” the motion stated.

It further expressed concern that no comprehensive intervention had been undertaken by the relevant federal agencies despite the scale of the disaster.

Following the adoption of the motion by lawmakers who voted overwhelmingly in support, the House mandated its committees on Environment; Emergency and Disaster Preparedness; Ecological Funds; and the NDDC “to conduct a joint on-the-spot assessment of the affected community.”

The committees are expected to report back to the House within four weeks with recommendations for immediate legislative action, according to the motion.

The sponsor cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” arguing that the Federal Government must act to protect lives and property threatened by the disaster.

The motion warned that continued neglect of the crisis could trigger further displacement and deepen the humanitarian, environmental and socio-economic challenges confronting Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta.

Odi Kingdom also bears the scars of the November 1999 military invasion, during which much of the community was destroyed. Residents subsequently rebuilt their homes and livelihoods, making the latest environmental threat another major challenge to the community’s survival.