The Federal Government has encouraged contractors in charge of the coastline protection and reclamation projects in the Bayelsa State communities of Emadike and Tombia to complete them before the rainy season. Emadike is located in the Ogbia Local Government Area.
Malam Shehu Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Project Office, made the statement Wednesday while leading office directors on an inspection tour of the project sites.
He expressed satisfaction with the amount of work completed at Emadike and gave the populace the assurance that the days when the neighborhood was often inundated by floods were behind them.
Commending the contractors handling the 836 metres Emadike shoreline protection work and 16 hectares of land reclamation, he noted that the intervention after the 2012 flood that ravaged the community has helped it to recover more land and made the community now safe from floods.
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He said: “There is a historical reason for what we are seeing today. In 2012, most of the houses in this (Emadike) community were submerged by the heavy flood.
“Through the intervention about two years ago when the 2022 flood came this place became a sanctuary for other communities due to the work done and also the extent of land reclamation which is about sixteen hectares of land.
“We have provided additional land and safety for the community. The people are so happy and noted that this is the kind of intervention they need.
“The project is already 97 percent completed and we are looking forward to the approval and awarding of another project to a neighboring community.
At Tombia, also a riverside community, he assured the people of the speedy completion of the project in spite of the slow pace of work due to the 2022 flood.
Story adapted from Vanguard
