Residents of Bonny in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State have appealed to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the area to assist in tackling the worsening flooding situation in the island communities.
The residents lamented that frequent flooding has destroyed homes, roads, and public infrastructure, stressing that the scale of damage has gone beyond what they can manage on their own. While acknowledging previous interventions by government, they insisted that NLNG and IOCs must also take responsibility by investing in sustainable solutions to the problem.
In recent weeks, heavy rainfall has submerged major roads and drainages across Bonny, including Abalamabie Road, Ukpo Avenue, Hospital Road, Shell Pipeline Road, and Moore Jackson Road. Investigations further revealed that in some areas, developers constructed buildings across designated water channels, worsening the blockage of natural drainage routes.
Chairman of the Technical Committee on Drainage, Flood Management, and Control, Dr. Fubara Dan-Jumbo, expressed concern over the poor planning of some projects by oil companies. He cited instances where NLNG laid pipes and built access roads without incorporating adequate drainage systems.
“The presence of multinationals and other companies on the island puts immense pressure on amenities, thereby amplifying the flooding challenges,” Dan-Jumbo said. “It is imperative that they support the local government to address this debacle. We are calling on the IOCs to immediately return to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports before and after their projects, and implement the Bonny Masterplan, otherwise the entire Bonny may get submerged.”
According to him, addressing the crisis will require massive investment in redesigning the drainage network and linking it to natural water bodies.
He also commended the Bonny Local Government Chairman, Amasenibo Abinye Blessing Pepple, for setting up the technical committee to tackle the problem immediately after assuming office.
