*Senator makes case for Anambra gully
By Yemi Olakitan and Fatima Saka
The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Umeh, has called on the federal government to intervene in the gully erosion menace in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra. He also called for erosion mapping of the South-East region.
Senator Umeh made this appeal while visiting the gully erosion site at the Onitsha-Owerri Road over the weekend. He described the South-East, especially Anambra State, as the erosion capital of Nigeria.
The road was cut off last week, which has threatened many buildings including the Rojeny Tourist Village and many companies.
Senator Umeh, shocked on seeing the extent of devastation, promised to personally present a holistic report on the erosion to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for onward transmission to the Federal Government.
Stating the importance of the Onitsha-Owerri Road, where the erosion occurred, Senator Umeh asked the Federal Government to commence emergency work on the site.
He affirmed that if the erosion was not curbed, it would cut off the remaining part of the road, thereby restricting movement to about six states of Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers State and Cross River State.
He said: “What we see here is an emergency that the federal government should intervene in.
“This part of the road has been cut off, and you can see that the only part of the road that is now being used is also threatened.
“This is beyond the control of the state government. So, there is a need for the federal government to step in. The other lane may not survive another two weeks from what we see here.
“I came to Anambra last night to see things for myself. I will take the video of this site to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to
see how the National Assembly can intervene, at least on this section.”
Senator Umeh maintained that the Oba erosion was not the only one in Anambra, adding that the menace had taken over communities like Obosi, Nanka, Agulu, Orumba, Oko and many others.
One of the Cabinet Chiefs in Oba, Chief Boniface Onyeka, told Voice of Nigeria that his company has been washed off by the erosion, as he wept uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Voice of Nigeria on visiting the site noticed works going on courtesy of the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
However, Umeh said the work was beyond the state government, adding that if it required taking loansto solve the problem, it would be better for the South-East and indeed, the nation at large.
The state governments of Plateau and Benue are also making great efforts to lessen the effects of flooding and protect their inhabitants from many sufferings.
A neighbourhood in flood-prone Makurdi, Benue State Representatives of the governments said, in separate interviews, that the authorities had taken actions to lessen the effects of floods this year, including early warning warnings and sensitizations.
The state’s capital, Makurdi, was informed by Mr. Richard Azaagee, Director of Environment of the Benue State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, that the government had stepped up its effort to raise awareness of potential flooding among citizens.
Azaagee claimed that over the years, the government had taken important measures, such as alerting citizens early on not to build alongside water channels and advising people who lived close to flood-prone areas to move to other, safer locations.
He said that the state government had made advance plans with the assistance of pertinent Federal Government departments.
Azaagee urged all interested parties to cooperate in order to lessen the effects of the flood on the state, adding that anyone found to have broken the state’s cleanliness rules will face appropriate sanctions.
Mr. Sunny Ibu, Director of Engineering Services in the ministry, revealed that the government has undertaken vast ecological projects, all of which were intended to lessen the effects of flooding on citizens
Ibu, however, said that the Idye Basin, whose construction the state government started in 2003, was essentially the main flood problem Makurdi was confronting.
“This basin extends from the river Benue to Behind Industrial Layout (covering a distance of more than 25 km), and it is a major canal that is intended to transport and discharge water into the river Benue.
Thus, flooding affects every community along the basin every year.
The Federal Government intervened and built the drainage from Police Zone 4 up to Naka Road after the state government’s initial building of that canal became overpowering at some point.
Related Posts
In order to further that initiative, the Federal Government is currently excavating an earth canal behind the Industrial Layout.
According to him, that is the main route for water to be collected and transported to Makurdi’s River Benue.
He claimed that the government had also constructed a drainage system to manage flooding in Makurdi’s North Bank area, but unhappily, some locals had turned it into a garbage dump, obstructing the water’s
ability to flow freely.
Ibu stated, “We are still working to build and open up more water channels.”
In order to rescue their communities from flooding, residents of Achussa, Idye, Wadata, Kaamen, and all other settlements near Makurdi urged the Benue government to intensify its intervention efforts.
The residents, claimed that each time it rained, flooding frequently resulted in significant losses for them.
Other governments like Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states have taken pre-emptive steps to prevent flooding and the potential loss of lives and property, according to reports.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) issued a warning about severe rainstorms and flooding in some regions of the nation in 2023, including the states of Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti.
However, a survey carried out in the three states reveals that steps have been done to reduce floods.
In an effort to stop floods, the governments have started channelization projects, built roads with drains, dug up streams and waterways, destilled and cleaned drains, and even demolished houses and stalls next to rivers.
In an interview in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Mr. Kolade Okeya, the director of the Ekiti State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), stated that the administration had started taking preventative steps at the beginning of the year to avoid any instances of flooding in the state’s major towns.
He stated that the difficulties often connected with the rainy season were of concern to the government, especially given how early this year’s rains began.
NiMet had warned the state of potential floods in three local government areas, namely Ado-Ekiti, Ikerre-Ekiti, and Irepodun-Ifelodun, according to Okeya.
The official explained that as a result, the government has developed activities, including the use of radio jingles, to alert residents of flood-prone communities to immediately migrate to safer locations.
However, Mr. Ayo Omotosho, a geologist, said that human activities were to blame for the rise in flooding incidences in many parts of Nigeria.
Flooding in Nigeria is primarily caused by human activity, including daily carelessness and disdain for the environment.
He claimed that effective urban design, preserving the ecosystem’s equilibrium, and the deployment of suitable environmental
infrastructures can all help to prevent flooding.
Omotosho urged all Nigerians to take environmental issues more seriously and abstain from any actions or routines that would upset the ecosystem’s delicate equilibrium.
Additionally, Mr. Sola Olominu, the chairman of Ikole Local Government Area, stated that his government has started clearing and distilling drains in order to prevent floods.
He stated that his administration was devoted to maintaining the cleanliness of the LGA’s drains and surrounding environment, and that environmental health officers were sent into local areas to make sure people practised good hygiene and sanitation.
Olominu warned that anyone or any home seen throwing trash in the drains or rivers will face punishment.
The Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration in Ondo State, according to the state’s commissioner for the environment, Mr. Sunday Akinwalere, has done everything possible to protect its citizens from flooding
Akinwalere noted that the preventive measures were well-funded in an interview in Akure, the state capital.
He claims that for the current administration took office, there was only one excavator in the state; now there are three, one in each of the state’s senatorial districts.
He said that the World Bank has designated a few local government districts in the state for ecological assistance.
Akinwalere predicted that shortly work would start in these local government districts after stating that the state has paid its counterpart monies.
The commissioner said that in order to address the issues brought on by climate change in the state, the administration was also in discussions with a few international organisations.
The governor has given his approval to all relevant committees, and we are in discussions with several international organisations about the implications of climate change in the state, he said.
Therefore, Akinwalere urged state citizens to exercise caution in how they used the environment and to appropriately handle their garbage.
