Delta Community Groups Rally on World Cleanup Day Over Deadly Ugbuwangue–New Port Road

Warri, Delta State – September 21, 2025

As people around the globe marked World Cleanup Day, residents of Warri turned the spotlight on a different kind of environmental hazard: the crumbling stretch of road between Ugbuwangue and New Port.

The Itsekiri Environmental Protection Initiative (IEPI) led a peaceful awareness campaign on Saturday, warning that the neglected roadway has become both an ecological menace and a mortal danger.

Their call follows the September 15 death of Miss Agirly Obinini, who was killed when a driver, swerving to avoid a water-logged section, drove against traffic and caused a fatal collision.

Project committee chairman Bibi Oye stressed that tackling the problem aligns with the spirit of World Cleanup Day. “Cleaning up isn’t only about picking litter,” he said. “It’s about removing the conditions that keep our environment dirty and dangerous.”

“Bad roads don’t just inconvenience motorists; they pollute the air, block drains, and push oily runoff into creeks and mangroves that sustain our fish and wildlife. Every rainy season carries new risks of disease and flooding. Repairing this road is environmental protection.”

IEPI is urging the Delta State Government, the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to immediately begin full repairs, install proper drainage and commit to long-term maintenance.

The national coordinator of Itsekiri Environmental Protection Initiative, Ojumude Tosan Bishop, Third Vice President and Chairman, Environmental Committee, Ugbarajo Itsekiri Youths, Comrade Esigbone Lily-White are among other community leaders, environmental advocates and residents that joined Saturday’s awareness campaign, calling the project “a key step toward saving lives, cutting pollution and protecting the fragile Delta ecosystem.”