The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) Worldwide on Saturday sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over the blockade of water ways in communities within the Egbema Kingdom.
Pereotubo Roland Oweilaemi, IYC President, worldwide, in a statement made available to NEXT EDITION on Saturday, lamented that over 70 communities in Egbema Kingdom and environs, both in Delta and Edo states, had been over taken by the scourge.
He stressed that water weeds has taken over the entire creeks in the Benin River and its estuaries, thereby making life miserable for the inhabitants.
Oweilaemi stated: “IYC is calling on NDDC to immediately respond to the plight of these communities. Let the Commission extend its intervention projects on water hyacinth to the Egbema Kingdom and other affected Niger Delta communities.
“NDDC should do all it can to save these communities from the looming humanitarian crisis arising from the scourge.”
He maintained that the riverine communities in the Niger Delta had been suffering from the perennial problem of blockade of the waterways by water hyacinth, adding that several communities had been trapped in the riverine areas during this season.
He stated that but for the interventions of government agencies, there would have been a big problem, stressing, “Currently, over 70 communities in Egbema Kingdom and environ both in Delta and Edo states have been suffering from this scourge.
“Water weeds have taken over the Creeks in the Benin River and its estuaries thereby making life miserable for the inhabitants.
“As we speak now, communities such as Ofunama, Opuama, Polobubou, Ogbodugbudo, Ogboinbiri among others in Egbema Kingdom are being trapped by the water hyacinth which has locked up the entire creeks.
“People cannot go about their lawful businesses as movement in and out of the affected communities are restricted. All the access routes to the communities, including the Sapele axis, have been taken over by the floating weeds.
“IYC is calling on NDDC to immediately respond to the plight of these communities. Let the commission extend its intervention projects on water hyacinth to the Egbema Kingdom and other affected Niger Delta communities.
“NDDC should do all it can to save these communities from the looming humanitarian crisis arising from the scourge.”
Oweilaem stressed that unless urgent steps were taken to cushion the effects, “we foresee an epidemic of human disaster that will be of an unimaginable proportion.”
The IYC boss also called on the NDDC to investigate Japaul Mines & Products Limited, which had been handling the abandoned 46 kilometers Udo-Ofunama Road.
He said: “The contractor needs to be questioned on what happened to the project. If, however, the completion of the project is being delayed because of non-release of funds to the contractor, then NDDC should accordingly release funds for its completion.”
