Over the past two weeks, the surging waters have caused significant damage to homes, schools, and critical infrastructure, leaving residents in a precarious situation.
The Olu of Warriâs office has raised an alarm over an ocean surge that is threatening the survival of several Itsekiri communities in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State.
In a statement issued by Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, the Olu’s representative to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the office called on the Federal Government, Delta State authorities, and non-governmental organizations to urgently intervene to save the affected communities.
The statement stated that the relentless ocean surge had already devastated key Itsekiri communities, including Ogheye Eghoroke, Orere, Ogheye Zion, and Ogheye Ajadogo.
Over the past two weeks, the surging waters have caused significant damage to homes, schools, and critical infrastructure, leaving residents in a precarious situation.
The statement read, “The continued existence of these communities is in jeopardy. We are calling for immediate action to prevent further destruction.
âThe ocean surge has compounded the challenges faced by the local population, who rely heavily on fishing and agriculture for their livelihoods. The Oluâs office stressed the need for a coordinated response to mitigate the impacts of the surge and rebuild the affected areas.
âUgbeni Primary School, the only school in the community, had been completely washed into the ocean. Several homes, including the residence of the community leader (Olare-Aja), built in 2020 by Hon. Daniel Ireyenieju, have been lost to the advancing waters.
âSome residents, whose homes have been washed away, revealed that they are now forced to squeeze ten people into a single room for shelter.
âMost alarming is the fact that the communityâs only borehole, which serves as the sole source of drinking water, has also been claimed by the ocean, leaving residents with no choice but to rely on ocean water for bathing, without access to clean drinking water.
âThe situation in the neighbouring communities is worse. Ogheye Zion and Ogheye Ajadogo have been entirely submerged, with no trace of the communitiesâ existence.â
Oritsetimeyin explained that efforts to reach Orere, the adjacent community to Ogheye Eghoroke, were unsuccessful due to the lack of access to a jetty, as much of the community has been swallowed by the ocean.
He said, âOgheye is host to Chevronâs offshore oil block, Okan Field, where oil was first discovered in 1963. For over 60 years, oil exploration activities have taken their toll on the shoreline communities. The combined effects of oil extraction and natural forces from the Atlantic Ocean have eroded the coastlines, leaving these communities more vulnerable to the encroaching ocean.â
He said as a result, homes, schools and the livelihoods of thousands of residents, whose primary occupation is fishing, have been destroyed due to pollution, oil spills, and other harmful consequences of oil exploration activities.
âWe are calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Delta State government, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, and all well-meaning individuals and organizations to come to the aid of these vulnerable communities,â he said.
Oritsetimeyin noted that the destruction of critical infrastructure such as schools, homes, and clean water sources, combined with the loss of entire communities to the ocean, has created a humanitarian crisis that demands immediate action.
“We also call on Chevron, given its long-standing presence in the area, to lead efforts in addressing this crisis. The damage caused by decades of oil exploration must be countered by meaningful action to support the communities that have borne the brunt of environmental degradation.
âThis ongoing genocide must be addressed with urgency, as the future of these communities hangs in the balance. The goose that lays the golden egg should not be abandoned,â he added.