By Emma Amaize

WARRI- OVER 21 Itsekiri oil-producing communities in Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State, are at the verge of being submerged due to sea encroachment, allegedly caused by oil exploration and exploitation activities in the past few decades.

A Niger Delta activist and president of Itsekiri  Development Association, IDA, Mr  Newuwumi  Omolubi, who is from Ogheye, one of the affected communities in Warri North council, told Vanguard in an interview that  the  estimated distance of the oil wells in the  affected communities from their ancient settlements  was  100   nautical miles and above.

Among the communities are Molume, Ugbege, Ewoleba,Ebokiti, Ekekporo, Eke-Igharo,  Ototo,  Eke-titon, Ogheye-uton Ogbeye –Dimigun. Others are Ogheye-Eghoroke, Ogheye,  Zion,  Ajadogo,  Ugogo-egin,  Oboghoro, Atankpoki,  Utonlila,  Jakpatie,  Aja-eye, Orere-yanagho,  Atsuran,  Oriebu,  Orubu, Bobi,  Olobe, Bateren-tie,  Bateren among others.

He said he was  surprised at the contention of the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Dr. Aliyu Babaginda, that oil wells  located 200 kilometres offshore should be treated as a  ‘common patrimony,’ not knowing that people own and inhabited such places before they were sacked by ocean surge.

He said: “As somebody from the coast line in Ogheye, Warri North council, I cannot attempt to go by canoe or even speedboat to where my grandfather’s house used to be because the ancient community had since been swept away by the surging ocean.”