Abia Govt pledges intervention as gully erosion devastates communities

Abia State Government has said that it is working diligently to intervene in the plight of erosion-ravaged communities across the state.

Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, gave the assurance to the indigenes of Amaewu Amamba Uzuakoli and Atta Emede Ibeku in Bende and Umuahia North LGAs,  when he visited erosion-devastated communities in the areas.

The commissioner, who was accompanied on the visit by Abia State NEWMAP Project Coordinator,  Nkiruka Chidia Maduekwe, conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the major erosion sites.

He emphasized that the situation requires urgent attention from the government, informing the rural dwellers that the administration of Governor Alex Otti is determined to provide adequate prompt response to environmental challenges.

Ogbonna disclosed that the Amaewu Amamba erosion site in Uzuakoli has already been captured under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, paving the way for appropriate intervention.

The commissioner also warned the residents against dumping refuse into erosion gullies under the mistaken belief that such actions help control erosion, stressing that the practice only worsens the problem and causes further environmental degradation.

At the Atta Emede Ibeku erosion site, Ogbonna announced that remediation works would soon commence through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Environment and the Umuahia Capital Development Authority , UCDA.

He appealed to residents whose homes are closest to the erosion sites to vacate the area immediately for their safety, emphasizing that while damaged properties can be restored or replaced over time, human lives cannot.

Responding on behalf of their communities, the President-General of Ohabuike Amamba, Uzuakoli, Nelson Umezurike, and the community leader of Emede Ibeku, Uzoka Ihekwumere, thanked Governor Alex Otti and the commissioner for showing concern on their travails.

The community leaders informed the Abia State government that some residential buildings, farmlands, livestock, as well as access roads to farms and markets, had been swallowed by the deep gully erosion, lamenting that the situation has increased economic hardship in the communities.