Indigenes of Canan-Irri, an agrarian Isoko community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have appealed to Governor Duoye Diri of the state to rescue them from the problem of erosion, which they said was currently washing the community away.

They said 16 houses, the community market, which is the source of the community women livelihood and businesses, boreholes and several lives had been lost to the erosion.

Speaking with newsmen on the development, Chairman of the Community Development,  Okemena Adigheji, said the people have been experiencing serious erosion for the past three years.

He said: “I have written to Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in Port-Harcourt, the community also discussed with the Deputy Governor of the state, Sen. Lawrence Erwhrujakpo, on  how the erosion was washing away the community. He confirmed to us that, to stop the erosion was an elephant project.

“We discussed the issue of the erosion with the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency, Fred Agbegi. He came to the community to see how the erosion had affected the community during the commissioning of the Community Primary Healthcare Centre.

“It is not because Canan-Irri is not an Ijaw-speaking community in the state that the state government has not given us the needed attention. We are minority, may be that is why they have not paid attention to our community.

“If you move round the riverine area within the coastal line, the erosion is affecting other communities but our own is more serious.”

He accused an Indian company, Sterling Global Oil Company, which he said,  dredged the river sometime ago of causing the problem of erosion that the community was facing.

“We have been appealing to the Bayelsa State Government to come and do the piling of the river for us, especially during the tenure of Sen. Sariake Dickson, the former governor of the state, who is now the chairman Senate Committee on Ecological Control to come to our aide.”