The Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has continued its large-scale de-silting of canals and flood drains across oil mandate areas, with Umutu community in Ukwuani Local Government Area being the latest beneficiary.
The operation, which took place on Monday, saw heavy-duty equipment deployed to clear blocked channels stretching from Umutu main gate through Mission Road to the Ethiope River, a distance of about five kilometres. The intervention, aimed at mitigating perennial flooding, drew residents, youth leaders and community stakeholders.
Surveyor Azuka Enebeli, DESOPADEC Board member representing Ndokwa Nation, led the exercise and described it as a deliberate step to safeguard lives, property and livelihoods in the flood-prone community.
“This intervention is timely and necessary. As the rains intensify, we must protect communities like Umutu where flooding has repeatedly disrupted farming activities and endangered lives. The de-silting is our direct response to the cries of our people, and DESOPADEC is determined to deliver on its mandate,” Enebeli said.
The Youth President of Umutu, Mr. Nweike Ocheli, lauded the project, noting that it would provide immense relief to residents who in past years suffered devastating flood impacts. “The clearing of these drains will not only check flooding but also boost economic activities as our farmlands and roads will be more secure,” he added.
Community members equally praised the exercise as a “people-oriented intervention,” stressing that it would improve environmental health and restore public confidence in grassroots governance.
Mr. Kingsley Iweka, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, who supervised the exercise, highlighted the responsive leadership of DESOPADEC Chairman, Hon. John Nani, and Managing Director/CEO, Chief F. M. Ochonogor. He said their focus on infrastructure renewal, environmental safety and grassroots engagement had reinforced DESOPADEC’s role as a credible driver of development in the Niger Delta.
The Umutu project forms part of a broader de-silting campaign simultaneously ongoing across DESOPADEC mandate areas, covering the Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko, Ndokwa and Ika ethnic nationalities.
