The Senate has urged the federal government to urgently protect the Ayetoro community in Ondo State from destruction caused by Atlantic Ocean surges and coastal erosion.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Francis Faduyile (PDP, Ondo South) during plenary on Thursday, highlighting the impact of sea incursion on the coastal community.
Moving the motion, Faduyile said about 80 per cent of buildings in Ayetoro, Ilaje Local Government Area, had reportedly been lost to sea incursion.
He said the destruction had affected homes, schools, healthcare facilities, places of worship and traditional institutions, displacing residents and disrupting fishing and other economic activities.
Faduyile also called for transparent verification of previous shoreline protection projects, including their funding, implementation status and outstanding obligations.
Seconding the motion, Ekong Sampson said sea surges were also threatening communities and historical sites in Akwa Ibom, including the Amalgamation House and the Point of No Return in Ikot Abasi.
He urged the Senate to extend its intervention to other affected coastal communities, particularly in Akwa Ibom South.
The Senate called on the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to work with the Ondo Government and the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) to address the crisis.
It also urged the Federal Government to establish a well-funded shoreline protection programme for Ayetoro and directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and relevant state authorities to provide affected residents with safe water, healthcare and temporary shelter.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said coastal erosion was affecting communities in Bayelsa and other parts of the country, adding that the scale of the challenges required federal government intervention because some state governments lacked the resources to address them.
