By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to urgently assess the worsening erosion and land degradation in Odi Kingdom, Bayelsa State, and commence permanent shoreline protection and land reclamation projects to prevent the community from being wiped out.
The House urged the Federal Ministries of Environment, Works, and Water Resources and Sanitation, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ecological Project Office and other relevant agencies to conduct a joint emergency assessment of the affected areas and immediately implement lasting measures to address the environmental crisis.
It also called for adequate budgetary allocations for comprehensive erosion control, shoreline stabilisation and environmental restoration to protect lives, property and the continued existence of the community.
As part of efforts to establish the scale of the damage, the House mandated its Committees on Environment, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Ecological Funds, and the NDDC to conduct a joint on-the-spot assessment of Odi Kingdom and submit their findings and recommendations for legislative action within four weeks.
The resolutions followed the consideration of a motion of urgent national importance on land degradation in Odi Kingdom, moved by Hon. Oboku Aronsizibe Aforji.
During debate on the motion, lawmakers noted that Odi Kingdom, one of the oldest and largest Ijaw settlements in Bayelsa State and Nigeria, occupies a strategic position along the River Nun shoreline. They said the community has significant historical, cultural and economic importance and has contributed substantially to the development of Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta region.
The House recalled that Odi Kingdom suffered extensive destruction during the 1999 military invasion, after which residents painstakingly rebuilt their homes and livelihoods.
However, the community was struck by a devastating earth tremor in 2025, followed by intensified shoreline erosion that accelerated the collapse of residential buildings, public infrastructure and farmlands. The disasters left many residents homeless and exposed the population to further environmental hazards.
Lawmakers expressed concern that the erosion continues to consume portions of the community daily, threatening lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and the survival of Odi Kingdom.
They lamented that, despite the scale of the crisis, no comprehensive intervention had been undertaken by the relevant Federal Government agencies, leaving affected residents to contend with hardship, poverty and displacement.
The House warned that continued inaction could worsen environmental degradation, force more residents from their homes and ultimately threaten the survival of the historic community.
It further observed that the consequences of neglecting the crisis extend beyond Odi Kingdom, with potential humanitarian, environmental and socio-economic implications for Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta.
The lawmakers cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which establishes the security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government, stressing the need for a prompt response to the disaster.
They maintained that urgent and coordinated federal intervention was necessary to halt the erosion, restore the damaged environment and protect the community from further destruction.
