Indigenes of four Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have asked for help to fight against the menace of ocean surge leading to coastal erosion.
The devastating ocean surge has been sweeping through Ogheye Eghoroke, Orere, Ogheye Zion and Ogheye Ajadogo communities for the past two weeks.
Sole Representative of the Olu of Warri/Liaison to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, in a statement lamented the plight of residents of the communities and threat to their ancestral homes.
Oritsetimeyin disclosed that the Itsekiri communities were facing a dire situation due to the relentless ocean surge that has wreaked havoc on their livelihoods, homes, schools and vital infrastructure.
“Ugbeni Primary School, the only school in the community, had been completely washed into the ocean. Several homes, including the residence of the community leader (Olare-Aja), built in 2020 by Hon. Daniel Ireyenieju, have been lost to the advancing waters.
He noted that during an on-the-spot assessment visit to the affected communities, some residents, whose homes were washed away, revealed that they are now forced to squeeze 10 people into a single room for shelter.
“Most alarming is the fact that the community’s only borehole, which served as the sole source of drinking water, has also been claimed by the ocean, leaving residents with no choice but to rely on ocean water for bathing, without access to clean drinking water.
“The situation in the neighboring communities is worse. Ogheye Zion and Ogheye Ajadogo have been entirely submerged, with no trace of the communities’ existence.
“Efforts to reach Orere, the adjacent community to Ogheye Eghoroke, were unsuccessful due to the lack of access to a jetty, as much of the community has been swallowed by the ocean.
“Legacy of Oil Exploration Ogheye is host to Chevron’s offshore oil block, Okan Field, where oil was first discovered in 1963,” he said.
Oritsetimeyin observed that for over 60 years, oil exploration activities have taken their toll on the shoreline of the communities noting that the combined effects of oil extraction and natural forces from the Atlantic Ocean have eroded the coastlines, leaving these communities more vulnerable to the encroaching ocean.
“As a result, homes, schools, and the livelihoods of thousands of residents, whose primary occupation is fishing, have been destroyed due to pollution, oil spills, and other harmful consequences of oil exploration activities.
“Additionally, the high infant mortality rate in the region is alarming, and this is largely attributed to toxic pollutants saturating the environment, further endangering the lives of these communities.
“We’re calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Delta State Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the United Nations, and all well-meaning individuals and organisations to come to the aid of these vulnerable communities.
“We also call on Chevron, given its long-standing presence in the area, to lead efforts in addressing this crisis. The damage caused by decades of oil exploration must be countered by meaningful action to support the communities that have borne the brunt of environmental degradation,” he pleaded.
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