The House of Representatives has called for increased budgetary allocation to tackle severe erosion threatening Odi Kingdom in Bayelsa State.

The lawmakers warned that the historic Ijaw community could face further destruction without urgent federal intervention and sustained funding for shoreline protection.

The House made the call on Tuesday after adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Oboku Oforji.

It urged the Federal Government to mobilise relevant agencies to protect homes, farmlands, public infrastructure and residents’ livelihoods from the advancing erosion.

Oforji’s motion linked the worsening shoreline erosion to an earth tremor reportedly recorded in the community in 2025. It said the incident accelerated the destruction of buildings and other vital assets.

“The persistent erosion continues to consume large portions of the community on a daily basis, threatening lives, livelihoods, critical infrastructure, and the very existence of Odi Kingdom,” the motion stated.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the relevant federal agencies had yet to undertake a comprehensive intervention despite the scale of the environmental crisis.

They urged the Federal Ministries of Environment, Works, and Water Resources and Sanitation to work with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ecological Project Office and other relevant agencies to address the problem.

The House called for an emergency assessment of the affected areas, followed by permanent shoreline protection, erosion control and land reclamation projects.

It also stressed the need for adequate budgetary provisions to finance comprehensive environmental restoration and stabilise the threatened shoreline.

As part of its response, the House mandated its committees on Environment, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Ecological Funds, and the NDDC to conduct a joint on-the-spot assessment of the community.

The committees are expected to submit their findings and recommendations for immediate legislative action within four weeks.

Oforji cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall remain the primary purpose of government.

He argued that the constitutional provision places an obligation on the government to protect residents and their property from threats such as the erosion ravaging Odi Kingdom.

The motion warned that continued neglect could worsen displacement, deepen poverty and compound the environmental and socio-economic challenges facing Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta.

Odi Kingdom also carries the scars of the November 1999 military invasion, which destroyed much of the community.

Residents subsequently rebuilt their homes and livelihoods. The current erosion threat now puts those recovery efforts at risk, raising fresh concerns about the future of the historic settlement.