The Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control is racing against time to keep flooding at bay, deploying heavy machinery to dredge channels choked with silt and refuse across Yenagoa. The push comes as the Federal Government issued its annual flood warning, prompting states to strengthen their defences before the rainy season peaks.
For residents in flood-prone areas, the sight of swamp buggies at work offers a glimmer of hope after years of anxiety. Madam Christie Bibowei, 67, who raised five children through countless flood seasons, said the clearing operation has eased the dread that gripped her during downpours.
Mr. Godknows, a Kpansia resident, knows the cost of inaction all too well.
He lost his provision store in the catastrophic 2022 floods when water levels rose without warning, destroying stock he'd built up over years of work.
That disaster displaced hundreds of thousands across Bayelsa and destroyed property valued in the billions of naira. His family sheltered in a church for two weeks after the waters receded.
The Directorate hasn't revealed the full scale of its operation, but officials confirmed that clearing major drainage channels ranks as the top priority to ensure smooth water flow as the rainy season intensifies. Work began on Saturday, June 13, and has already drawn crowds of curious residents to the banks.
Standing at the edge of Kpansia Market Road Channel, Godknows watched as workers connected the waterway to the Mike Okpokpor Channel. His tone mixed caution with cautious belief.
"I want to believe it will be different this time. The government is trying.
They are clearing the canals, and we can see the water flowing. For the first time in years, we can finally sleep at least a little," he said.
In Azikoro upstream, where machinery clears the channel linking Cemetery Culvert and the CBN Channels, a 14-year-old boy named Imomotimi spoke of simpler hopes. Last year his football field sat underwater for three months, making play impossible.
"If they clear the rubbish, we can play again," he said, watching the operation with fascination. Another resident, Flora Green, marvelled at what emerged from the murk.
"Look at how much garbage they are pulling out. People have been throwing everything into these channels—plastics, bottles, even dead animals.
How could water flow?"
Critical trouble spots include St. Peter's and Obele canals, the Goodnews Canal near Azikoro Town, and the Akenpai Canal.
The Directorate warned that anyone dumping refuse into waterways will face sanctions under environmental laws.
