…Blames mangrove degradation on bunkering activities
Tamunosiki Akpuh, Port Harcourt
The people of Rumuorlumeni community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the state government to stop the sale of lands along their waterfronts.
They made the call during a stakeholders’ workshop on Accelerating Community-Led Mangrove Restoration in Rumuorlumeni, organized by the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), to promote mangrove recovery efforts in the community. The event was held on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Community members urged the Ministry of Environment to ensure that their lands are protected from encroachment and to designate a government-reserved area specifically for mangrove conservation. They also decried the indiscriminate dumping of waste into gutters that flow into the river, saying it pollutes the ecosystem and destroys their source of livelihood.
They further appealed to the state government to secure the mangrove areas, alleging that criminal elements, including kidnappers, have turned the sites into hideouts.
Speaking at the event, the Youth President of Rumuorlumeni community, Felix Chinda, attributed the degradation of the mangrove ecosystem to illegal oil bunkering and rapid urbanization, which have wiped out aquatic life.
“Our mangroves have been diminished, and those creatures that lived within them — periwinkles, crabs, and fish — are no longer there because they have lost their habitat,” he lamented.
Chinda disclosed that the community has made efforts to restore and protect the mangroves but continues to struggle with the pressures of urban expansion. He expressed optimism that, with CEHRD’s support, the community would intensify sensitization on the importance of protecting mangrove forests after replanting efforts.
He appealed to the Rivers State Government and the State House of Assembly to enact laws with punitive measures against those who cut down or destroy mangroves. Chinda also urged women and youths in the community to participate actively in awareness campaigns aimed at protecting the environment and ensuring food security.
Earlier, Dr. Tammy Cookey, Head of Environment at CEHRD, emphasized the urgent need for legislation to regulate activities leading to mangrove degradation, noting that the problem has had a severe impact across the Niger Delta.
“In Kono, Ogoni area, mangrove degradation is caused mainly by oil pollution, while in Iwofe, it is driven by human activities,” he said.
“The government should enact laws that can effectively regulate mangrove degradation in the Niger Delta.”
The stakeholder dialogue was part of activities under a mangrove restoration project supported by the United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) in selected communities across Rivers State.
