The NDDC Director, Bayelsa State Office, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha (4th right); the Deputy Director of Community and Rural Development.Mr. Diete Amiefamonyo (3rd right); the Acting Paramount Ruler of Ayakoro Community, Chief Micah Itesi (4th left), during the site hand over in Ayakoro. With them is the Project Consultant, Engr. Henry Okolie (2nd left).
By Akpekwu Imbufe, Bureau Chief, Southsouth
The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says it has handed over the sites for the Emergency Reclamation and Shoreline Protection projects in the Onuebum and Ayakoro Communities in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, to the contractor for commencement of work.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at the Ayakoro Community Town Hall, the NDDC Director, Bayelsa State Office, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha averred that it was necessary to formally hand over the projects and present the contractor to the Communities so as to give the project a face.
Alamieyeseigha contended that the land reclamation and shoreline protection for communities demonstrate the NDDC’s commitment to improving people’s welfare, noting that the benefitting Communities had always cooperated with the NDDC and its contractors.
The state director advised community members to see themselves as owners of the project and to report any abnormalities they might notice during its execution. He further urged the Communities to cooperate with the contractor to complete the project on schedule.
On his part, the NDDC Deputy Director, Community and Rural Development, Mr. Diete Amiefamonyo, emphasized the importance of the project handover, observing that in the past, there had been interferences from other development agencies in NDDC projects. “The NDDC introduced the project handover ceremony to end such conflicts. The project handover will enable communities to take ownership and cooperate more with contractors. He charged the Communities to refrain from stopping contractors from executing projects. Rather, they should instead approach the NDDC State Office to resolve any conflict of interest;
“Youth groups, community development committees and women leaders should all learn to work in harmony. Furthermore, the contractors should respect the community’s traditions.” he added.
In his remarks, Project Consultant, Engr. Henry Okolie, stated that the shorelines on both sides of the river were collapsing and explained that the technology being deployed for the project would help to secure more land for development, protect the land, and safeguard the road infrastructure being built in the communities, while the Acting Paramount Ruler of Ayakoro Community, Chief Micah Itesi, assured that the people of Ayakoro and Onuebum would cooperate with the contractor to ensure early completion of the projects.
The state of shoreline protection in Bayelsa State is critical, with severe coastal erosion threatening communities like Onuebum and Ayakoro, prompting urgent intervention. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is committed to the project as seen in the handing over of sites for emergency shoreline protection and land reclamation
The current state of shoreline protection in Bayelsa shows, there is severe erosion situations in many communities, including Onuebum, Ayakoro, and Brass, which has endangers lives, infrastructure, and land.
Blue Economy Magazine’s investigation shows Bayelsa state faces significant environmental damage, largely due to its long coastline, which is the longest in Nigeria. This is as Bayelsa State has limited financial capacity to tackle large-scale erosion projects on its own, increasing its reliance on federal support.
NDDC’s formal handover of sites for emergency shoreline protection and land reclamation to contractors in Onuebum and Ayakoro communities in the Ogbia Local Government Area, underscored their commitment to protect existing infrastructure, secure land for future development, and enhance maritime security, with projects utilizing technologies to stabilize the coast.
Nonetheless, there are calls for the NDDC to replicate the success of the Emadike shoreline protection project in the more affected areas across the shoreline of Bayelsa State. While on the part of the NDDC, the advocacy is for local communities to cooperate with contractors and protect project infrastructure undertaking by the commission from vandalism. Other ongoing efforts from the Bayelsa State government to complement shoreline protection is in the state’s conducting of its own assessments of impacted areas, such as the Okpoama fishing settlement in Brass Local Government Area.
