Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu, has ordered the immediate deployment of technical experts and equipment to the blocked area of Pessu Market river in Warri South Council Area, in order to link it up to the main Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) outlet.
Leading other top management staff of NIWA during the ‘on-the-spot-assessment’ of the area recently, Moghalu expressed concern over the low water level he witnessed during the period of high tides and wondered how difficult the situation would be for those plying their trade in the area when there were low tides.
Moghalu, who took time to inspect the remote cause of the blockage, admitted that the situation requires an urgent intervention, in order not to endanger the lives of residents who are mostly waterway users, especially the women who are fishermen and petty traders.
Consequent to his findings, he directed his men to mobilise the needed manpower and equipment to the place so as to commence the process of survey towards opening up the blocked side of the river and thereafter dredge the area as a way of averting a delicate situation that could lead to loss of lives if proper measures were not taken early enough.
According to him: “It’s a total blockage we are looking at here. And if you can have this volume of water during the high tides, imagine what the situation would be during the low tides.
“So, I am a bit worried about it and I have directed now that a survey team should move in to start work immediately to get the hydro-graphic survey done completely from the beginning down to the major outlets.
“It is after this stage that we will begin to look at the program of dislodging the entire place and dredging it out. We want to clear it, otherwise, we’ll lose the body of water here and that’s not in our best interest.
“Due to the urgency we are attaching to solving this problem, I will be issuing a formal letter so that the work can commence in earnest and we hope to complete it in good time too”, Dr Moghalu assured.
Speaking to newsmen during the visit, a resident who identified himself as Mr Obaro Arieigwe, (a trader) lamented how the resident of the area had suffered for many years due to the blockage and shallow river.
“Look at the water level you are seeing now that is the best you can get and yet we are still experiencing high tides. By the time we get to the low tides, it’s the ground you will be seeing and by that time, we won’t be able to do our business of farming and trading with our neighbouring communities as our boats will no longer be able to move,” Mr Arieigwe lamented.
He disclosed that the river blockage was a result of the activities of the wood traders and saw millers who heaped the saw-dust from their business into the river for many years and after a while, they started experiencing some difficulties in making their way through till it got to this present state.