The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is to explore creative means of tackling water hyacinth in waterways of the Niger Delta region.
NDDC chairman, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, disclosed this yesterday when she hosted members of the Niger Delta Youth Assembly (NDYA) at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Onochie noted that it had become imperative to explore new means of tackling the hyacinths in the region’s waterways.
She said: “In South East Asia, water hyacinth is harvested and used to make beautiful artworks which are sold for profit. We may have to send some of our people abroad to learn how to turn the problem of water hyacinth in our waterways into a profitable venture instead of giving out contracts every time for the clearing of our waterways.”
The NDDC chairman stated that the commission was exploring ways to address the challenges facing waterways in the region in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Also speaking, the representative of Rivers State on the governing board of the NDDC, Engineer Chukwudi Dimkpa, said the commission had been proactively tackling challenges that come with flooding in the Niger Delta.
Dimkpa said: “The governing board is tackling the flood issue proactively. We noticed that the rains have come early and we are making efforts to address the challenges so our people don’t suffer.”
Earlier in his remarks, the president of Niger Delta Youth Assembly (NDYA), Comrade George Godwin, commended the efforts of the NDDC in the Niger Delta region and stated that more still needed to be done.
