Bayelsa to establish waterways agency following Supreme Court ruling

Bayelsa State government said it is set to create a dedicated waterways agency to regulate activities on its rivers and coastal areas, following a recent landmark Supreme Court judgment affirming the state’s control over its waterways.

Governor Douye Diri hinted of the plan on Wednesday during the state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.

He said the move aims to curb environmental degradation and prevent a repeat of the ecological damage caused by unregulated oil and gas exploration.

The governor disclosed that the state, alongside Lagos State, successfully challenged the Federal Government at the apex court over the control and management of above-surface activities.

The Attorney-General has been tasked with studying the judgment to provide the legal framework for the new agency.

“The partnership with Lagos State yielded results as the Supreme Court gave judgment in favour of both states,” Diri said. “We shall now set up our own waterways agency so that activities taking place on our waterways, including the transportation of black sand and other resources, will be properly regulated under the authority of the Bayelsa State Government.”

Diri specifically warned against the illegal and unregulated extraction of black sand, a valuable natural resource deposited in the state.

He expressed concern that some operators, including foreigners, had been extracting the sand without proper authorisation from federal or state authorities.

“Such activities cannot be allowed to continue,” the governor stated, noting that while the government supports youth employment, resource extraction must be carried out legally and sustainably to avoid severe environmental consequences such as erosion and the destruction of coastal ecosystems.

“We are already suffering from the challenges of environmental pollution and the loss of aquatic resources,” Diri noted. “We do not want a repeat of that experience through the unregulated mining of black sand.”

To enforce the new regulations, the governor directed that a bill be prepared for the House of Assembly.

“Going forward, we intend to back these measures with law. It will no longer be a matter of executive directives alone,” he said.

The governor also instructed the Ministries of Environment and Information to intensify public education on the government’s position regarding natural resource management.

On power supply, the governor appealed for patience from residents over the ongoing expansion of electricity distribution under the state’s independent power project.

He explained that the disruptions were caused by infrastructure upgrades to the state’s independent power project and recent gas supply disruptions due to a pipeline leakage.