By Bisola Adeyemo
The member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Chief Sam Onuigbo, has called on the federal government to take immediate actions against gully erosion in Umunwanwa, Umuopara in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.
Onuigbo who made the call on Monday, said the delay by Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation to seek for solution may increase rate of disaster in the communities.
He also said NNPC and Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) need urgent action to prevent any calamity that could occur due to the exposure of pipeline on the site.
He said, “Umunwanwa is a town in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State and has the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) pipeline passing through it, and the town has been devastated by severe erosion menace.
“The destructive effects of erosion in Umunwanwa are threatening lives, property, and economic activities in the area, coupled with this threat, is the danger that the PPMC pipeline that passes through Umunwanwa has been precariously exposed by the erosion, leaving it open to explosion at the slightest of impacts.
“The ugly petroleum pipeline explosion that resulted in the deaths of about 250 people in Osisioma, in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State in 2018, was reported to have exhibited similar dangerous signals which were brought to the attention of the Federal Government and the NNPC or its subsidiary, the PPMC, but such warning alerts and several calls to act to prevent the deadly incident that happened were ignored or neglected.
“Umunwanwa is sitting on a literal keg of gun powder and except the Federal Government immediately takes measures to defuse this, the looming mass death of those Nigerian citizens might as well be equated to a government-sanctioned execution.”
He added, “I have been seeking all sorts of intervention, including some palliative works from Anambra/Imo River Basin Authority. I have also paid for the survey plan and engineering works that were done for that site and submitted to Ecological Fund Office.”