Amatu 2, an oil-bearing community located on the Atlantic Ocean coast in the Induwini Kingdom of Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, is facing near extinction due to the growing threat of erosion to its homes and livelihoods. SAMUEL ESE reports
Amatu 2 community in the Induwini Kingdom in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State is one of the largest crude oil-bearing communities on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
The community sits on a strip of land between the ocean and the estuary; it faces the estuary while backing the Atlantic Ocean, probably to shield it from the constant menace of the overwhelming waves.
The setting looked great in the past, but no more, as years of coastal erosion have washed away the soil, cutting a channel through the strip of land, leaving the once-proud settlement at its mercy.
In the last few years, the situation has become precarious as some houses have been washed into the sea. With the current economic challenges making things more difficult, those who have lost their homes now seek shelter in the civic centre.
Amatu 2 community makes significant contributions to the nation’s oil production and hosts multinational oil companies, including Shell Petroleum Development Company, which produces from its estuary fields in the area.
Despite the wealth extracted from its soil, benefiting Nigeria and Bayelsa State, no attention is being given to the major plight of the community, as the state has yet to establish an oil-producing communities development commission, and SPDC remains indifferent.
That is not to say that the community has not had its share of global memoranda of understanding and the usual projects like concrete walkways, concrete jetties, schools and water, as well as health centres.
Like other coastal communities in Bayelsa State, Amatu 2 is at the mercy of the frothing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Apart from Sangana, where the contract for foreshore protection was reviewed last year by the Niger Delta Development Commission, all other communities are waiting for the expected disastrous outcome.
But to the people of Amatu 2, like Mrs Ekenere Vincent, who just lost her house to the erosion menace, the government’s failure to act is a constant source of pain and worry.
Speaking in the Ijaw language, she expressed sadness at the loss of her home and her incapacity to build another due to the harrowing economic situation and urged the government to come to the community’s assistance.
“The government should come to our aid and support us, otherwise we don’t know what will happen next as the erosion is going on,” she stated.
Another resident, Mr America Izonboloude, who spoke in pidgin, called for the government’s intervention, stressing the need to pile the waterfront.
Izonboloude said he felt bad about the situation because the community has made huge contributions to the national economy, but regrettably, nobody was showing concern while the people continued to suffer.
“Let the government come and help us to tackle this erosion menace in the Amatu 2 community because if it continues like this, we don’t know our fate again.
“It makes me feel sad because this is an oil-producing community; it generates wealth for the country. However, as this is happening, the government does not show concern; Shell does not show concern; nobody is showing concern,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Amatu, King Joel Ekeni Ibane, highlighted one of the reasons the issue has taken so long, saying, “Everybody is working for his pocket and family, and that is why we have been suffering here.”
Ibane stressed the need for the SPDC and NDDC to come into the picture, and work out a partnership in collaboration with the community to address the erosion challenge.
He complained of the treatment being meted out to the people by the oil companies about the award of contracts to persons from outside the community while his people were denied such opportunities.
“As we are talking about the NDDC, we’ll also talk of Shell because Shell is the root of the problem. This is happening because of the oil Shell is exploring and we are not even benefiting. Contractors are Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and so on,” he said.
According to him, the challenge has affected the psyche of the people whose livelihood is connected to the sea, as they now find it difficult to venture into the deep for their daily sustenance.
He, however, expressed optimism that with the interest shown by the non-governmental organisation, Safe and Better Nigeria, something would at last be done to address the erosion problem and reassure the people that the government would come to their assistance.
The National Coordinator of Safe and Better Nigeria, Comrade Solomon Ikpaka, who also hails from the Amatu 2 community, said “If I say I’m not concerned, it shows I’m not from Amatu or I’m not human.”
Ikpaka said the NGO has raised issues and concerns over the development since some residents lost their homes and started using the civic centre and community guest house for shelter.
He expressed regret that both the Bayelsa State government and the Federal Government, including their ministries, departments and agencies as well as SPDC have not seen the need to come to the community’s aid.
“In situations like this, the place where you drill oil and you see the people suffering, if actually SPDC officials are humans, then they ought to see to the plight of the people,” Ikpaka said.
He pointed out that what the situation demands is dredging, piling and sand filling to reclaim the land because the access to the community is almost being blocked by the sand deposited by the waves.
“I would want every government parastatal to please do well to come to the aid of these people. I think the solution is dredging the Amatu 2 community – dredging, piling and sand-filling it – that’s land reclamation.
“Even the access path to the community is almost lost because the more these things happen, the sand from the ocean is being deposited at the entrance to the community, which is almost lost.
“So, we hope that the NDDC would see to these things. It will go beyond just us, but we’ll do well to partner with the leadership of the community.”
Ikpaka also urged the National Assembly’s committee on the environment to address the erosion menace confronting the Amatu 2 community of Bayelsa State.
On the support promised by King Ibane, Ikpaka said, “We thank God that the paramount ruler has agreed to support us as long as we are ready for this cause.”
