Samuel OYADONGHA

Yenagoa  – The ancient settlement of Sagbama in the Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa State is facing one of its worst environmental degradation in recent times.

Unlike several other communities in the state being devastated by oil spills including the self inflicted spill by illegal refinery operators in the deep mangrove swamp the ancient settlement of Sagbama is being terrorized on large scale by marine erosion.

About four hundred families whose homes are located on the bank of the River Forcados may be rendered homeless at the peak of the flood season in September when the velocity of the river would be high.

one of the erosion sites

Also, a private housing estate in the community located a few metres from the troubled river bank is being threatened.
Already, a large portion of the community land including part of its access road and market has been lost to the surging river with more on the verge of being eroded.

Interestingly, Sagbama is one of the few communities that could be access by road in the predominantly oil and gas rich state.

Some of the natives whose homes are on the throes of being washed away are now living in constant fear especially with the flood season fast approaching.

When Sweetcrude visited the community it was learnt that a recent attempt by the government to tackle the erosion menace by rehabilitating the troubled spot ended in fiasco when the mass of rock use in protecting the river bank collapsed and further ate into the already narrow road.

It was reliably gathered that the control measure failed because a proper environmental impact assessment was not conducted before the job was done.

The troubled area, a source told Sweet Crude used to be the opening to a creek that linked the River Forcados in the Sagbama flank and River Nun in Opokuma several years ago before it was sand filled in the course of the dredging of the river in the eighties by the administration of late Chief Melford Okilo when the Bayelsa was in Rivers State as part of measures to protect the community against erosion.

Troubled by the renewed erosion threat, the terrified people of Sagbama have expressed concern over the fate of their community.

Chairman of Sagbama Community Development Committee, Chief Simeon Suoyo, who conducted Sweet Crude round the devastated area, warned that unless urgent steps are taken to save his people from the erosion threat, about four hundred families stand the risk of being sacked when the river level rises.

“As you can see, our people are in grave danger and living in constant fear,” he said pointing at the collapsed area which was recently rehabilitated.

“It was a miracle that no life was lost the day the place collapsed,” he noted, adding, “it could have been worse if people or vehicles were passing that fateful night.”