BY Anita Uche-Ugbejie Chukwuma
Permanent Secretary of Delta State Ministry of Environment Dr. (Mrs.) Minnie Oseji led team of the ministry staff for an inspection tour to Delta Central and South Senatorial District to inspect projects.
At the project site of the mechanical desiltation and canalization of Uduophori and Odorubu canals in Patani, the monitoring and inspection team observed that the canals were already silted with weeds and some sections of the bound walls have been washed back into the canals.
The team also inspected the culverts constructed along the Uduophori canal. The representative of Ecology department Mr. Iteyere Pius said that canalization work was only done at the downstream section of Odorubo canal due to marine intrusion like grasses, sand and water hyacinths.
The team also inspected the bound wall created along the river bank at Patani town which also passes behind the palace. The team observed that it is already silted with grasses and palm nut shells in a section. It was resolved that an official letter be written to Patani LGA council to ensure that residents stop silting the canals already cleared by the ministry.
At the various sites of mechanical desiltation of silted canals and waterways in Delta South Senatorial distract located at Otiteh- Ajogodo – Akintola, Sapele, Okuama, Ughelli South, Umuyo- Ogbakpa – River Ethiope, Mosogar, Ovwian- DSC Expressway, Udu, and Ughelli North town, the team observed that the canals were already silted with grasses, dirt and sand.
It was observed that some parts of the canal at Sapele and Udu LGAs have been encroached by people building houses and fences. The team also recommended that a letter be written to Sapele and Udu LGAs and relevant ministries to look into the encroachment of the canal.
The inspection team recommended that former letters be written to relevant ministries and LGAs to take appropriate majors to address the incidences of encroachment into the canals by built up houses and fences.
In addition, the ministry and departments are to ensure that they include maps showing the length of desilting and canalization done and they should also be including photographs of their consultations with host communities before the commencement of projects.
In the inspection team were permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr.( Mrs)Minnie Oseji; Iteyere Pius (Ecology Department), Igbesoko Robert (PRS), Shime Emmanuel (Finance and Accounts), Ehwarieme Augustine (Auditor), Uwagwu Doris (Admin Department) and Mrs. Anita Uche-Ugbejie Chukwuma
