Following the forecast by the Nigerian Metrological Agency, NEMA, of an impending flood disaster in some low lying states across the country including Delta State, the Delta State government through the Ministry of Environment and the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, have embarked on a proactive exercise to open up strategic blocked waterway channels and drainages in all the three senatorial districts in the State to avert the devastating consequences which are always associated with the perennial flooding at this time of the year.
The combined team of DESOPADEC and the Ministry of Environment, yesterday, July 31, 2024 mobilized men, materials and machines, including heavy duty equipment to kick-off the opening of blocked channels and drainages in response to the instruction of the State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for a proactive step to avert the negative impact of flooding in the State this year.
Deploying about nine aquatic weeds harvesters, commonly known as ‘swamp boogies’ to various part of the state, the combined team led by Commission chairman, Hon. Barr. John Nani, the Director-General of the Commission, Hon. Festus Ochonogor and the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ejiro Jamani, visited the various sites where operations have commenced.
In Warri South Local Government Area, the clearing and desilting of the major waterway canal across Esisi road that collects water from most part of Warri metropolis and empties into the Warri River through the NPA, was in progress when the team visited accompanied with newsmen.
At the site of operation on the major water channel across the East-West Road by Okuokoko town, men of the Ministry and the Commission were on duty opening up the waterway that collects water from some parts of Uvwie Local Government and Okuokoko/Ugolo in Okpe Local Government Area, through to the Agbarho River in Ughelli North Local Government Area.
Addressing newsmen at the Okuokoko Site, the chairman of the Commission, Hon. Barr. John Nani disclosed that the State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, gave a marching order for the Ministry of Environment and the interventionist agency, DESOPADEC to take necessary steps to ensure that the effect of the forecast flooding at low lying states in the country which included Delta State, is drastically mitigated when it eventually happens, noting that about nine swamp boogies, men and materials have been mobilized to various flood-prone areas in the State to clear and desilt blocked drains and channels.
Nani noted that a major cause of clogged drainages and water channels in the affected areas are the handiwork of humans who dump wastes on the course of the waterways indiscriminately, thus rendering it impossible for water to flow freely into the main rivers.
“There is this alert that there is going to be flooding in some of the low-lying states across the country and Delta State is a low-lying state where flooding always take place on a yearly basis. We know full well that this area is usually flooded and we come here every year to make sure that before the flooding begins, we have cleared the waterway which carries a lot of water from the communities down this way, from Okuokoko to Ugolo and from there it discharges into the Agbarho river.
“What we are doing now is that we make sure that the waterway is opened and the blocked culverts are also opened. We are using swamp boogies to open them up and we will not wait for the flood to come and affect the people. The Governor has directed that all the channels are opened. He has directed that DESOPADEC and the Ministry of Environment should make sure that everywhere is opened because he would not want to hear that the people are suffering from the impact of flood. We, following the MORE agenda of the government, must ensure that the people will not suffer this year when the flood comes.
“We are opening channels in about 30 communities. We have deployed about nine swamp boogies already working in different locations. We have just left the work site in Warri South Local Government and now we are in Okuokoko in Okpe Local Government Area. We shall be going to Ughelli, Isoko, Bomadi, Kiagbodo and other places and we shall be carrying out activities in all these places at the same time. Within the next two and three weeks, we shall be in the field to make sure all the channels are opened.
“My message to Deltans is that they should stop throwing wastes into the waterways. These blockages are man-made. We opened these channels last year but they have been blocked again. So, my advice to them is that they should help government to help them by making sure that human-generated wastes are properly disposed”, he said.
Also fielding questions from newsmen, the Managing Director of DESOPADEC, Hon. Festus Ochonogor, stated that the State Governor has given the Commission a marching order to ensure that the effect of flooding in some affected parts of the State is reduced to its barest minimum.
He said: “The Governor has instructed that in critical areas that are prone to flood we should intervene so that the effect of flooding will be minimized. And that is why we have started with this area. We were here last year and we are also going to touch some other areas. Apart from Isoko, we shall also get to Ndokwa and eventually we shall get to Ika and make sure that those places we touched last year, we are also going to touch them to minimize the effect of flooding.
“The exercise may take us up to two weeks and it will run simultaneously at different locations. We are also going to Sapele, Jesse and some other parts of Uvwie Local Government Area as well to make sure that those critical areas which we identified last year, we will revisit them and reopen them.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ejiro Jamani who also fielded questions from newsmen recalled that the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, during his political campaign last year, assured Deltans of a sustainable environment, adding that it is the duty of his ministry to do everything possible to ensure that the environment is properly sustained.
“His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Sheriff Oborevwori promised Deltans during his electioneering campaign of environmental sustainability. The Ministry of Environment is doing all within their power. Sometimes, we go outside our reach to see how we can sustain our environment. As the chairman said, all these drainages are being clogged by man-made activities. It is our handiwork. We dispose wastes indiscriminately which is not fair. So, we as a ministry, we have done sensitization and awareness campaign to tell the people that we have only one earth and that is this our environment. So, we must come together with all stakeholders to see how we can work with the government to see how we can salvage our environment”, he said.
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