By Emma Amaize

…As 4 Delta communities lament power outage,  send SOS to NDDC, Delta government, others
BOMADI—Coastal erosion has again hit Gbekebor community, a coastal community on River Forcados flat in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, destroying the seawall jointly built by the community and the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC some decades ago.

In a ‘Save Our Souls’ letter addressed to the Burutu Council chairman, by Chairman of the community, Mr. Augustine Okiwowo, the community noted that it has been facing life threatening environmental problems for many decades, which had been reported in both print and electronic media,  with appeals to appropriate quarters for help with no response.

The community leaders maintained that all pleas directed at their representatives in government, particularly member representing Burutu constituency in the House of Representatives and member representing Delta South at the Senate, fell on deaf ears as there was neither assurances nor visitations to their suffering constituents.

Already, the community is at the brink of disaster because of the fear of the coming floods predicted by  meteorologists.

They called on the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs; Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC; Federal Ministry of Environment; Delta State Government; Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission, DESOPADEC and non-governmental organisations to come to their aid.

According to them, if the erosion menace was not given deserved urgent attention, it would certainly lead to the complete extinction of the community.

4 Delta communities lament power outage

Meanwhile, four  riverside communities, Opuedebubor, Okpele-ama, Azama and Inikorogha communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, have cried out, that they have been living in darkness in the past six months.

They blamed their plight on the failure of the Nigeria Gas Company, NGC, to supply diesel for the running of generating plants, provided for the purpose.

According to the oldest man in Opudebubor,  Pa James Agbowei, diesel supply to the community started in January 2011, but stopped in January 2012 following an understanding with the company that it would run the plants “until they provide steady turbine light.”

Chairman, Tebu-Biri Youth Forum and leader, Pipeline Surveillance, Opudebubor, who confirmed the development, urged the NGC/Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to resume the running of the plants in the communities.

The Owoboda of Okpele-ama, Chief Bola Tortor; Amadiwei of Opudebubor, Chief Jacob Iyasa; Amadiwei of Okpele-ama, Chief Akin Mala; Amadiwei of Azama, Chief Meeting Jerimaighan, Amadiwei of Inikorogha and Chief Felix Ejoh, also appealed to the company to hearken to the cry of the people.