in Awka

Ekwulobia community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State has raised the alarm over threats of erosion in their area, saying that if nothing was done urgently, the community may be wiped out.

With recent torrential rainfall, gully erosions in the area have continued to expand, eating into homes and farmlands, causing locals to migrate out of their homes.

A United States-based attorney and public health expert, Dr. Okwudili Ezike, who conducted journalists around erosion sites in the community said the threat was beyond the state government, while calling on the federal government and United Nations agencies for rescue.

Last month, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo while receiving President Bola Tinubu tabled the menace of erosion in the state before him, saying that even though Anambra is second smallest state in landmass, it has continued to depreciate in size due to erosion. Tinubu had promised to intervene.

But during inspection visit on erosion sites at the weekend, Ezike said the problem in the community was beyond the state government. He said the federal government needs to liaise with United Nations agencies to tackle the problem.

He said, “We have nine villages in Ekwulobia, and each has devastating ecological situation. We are calling on the federal government and other United Nations agencies to come to our aid.

“The scope of this problem is broad and complex and requires more than what the state government can handle. We see the good works of the governor here, and we appreciate it, but we know that this problem is beyond what the state government can handle.

“The scope of this problem is enormous and requires the intervention of the state government and even international organisations. We want the federal government to come on site and see the level of devastation we are facing here.

“If not for this palliative works the governor is doing, the entire community would have been wiped out. This place you see was previously the ancestral home of some people, but today, gully has taken over. So we are calling on the federal government to come and save the old Aguata area, which comprises Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South Local Government Areas. Further and more complex interventions are required to save our people from this devastation.

“This is the biggest problem we have, and the governor is aware of this because he is from this area and we are calling on the United Nations and organisations like the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in charge of things like this to come to our aid.

“While people see this from an ecological perspective, I see this from a more broader perspective, like global health security. Local security is also global health. I live in Washington DC, and in three days I will be back in the States. I’m in Ekwulobia right now, but if I contract any disease by being here, it will be in Washington DC in three days. That is why this is a global issue.

“This is a threat to health and public space, so it needs detection and treatment. This has to do with climate issues too. I’m calling on the federal government to liaise with the international community that has the funds and the expertise.”

Speaking on intervention works at the site, Assistant Project Manager of AG Vision Construction Company, Imamofo Ken-Wiwa, told journalists that it took the intervention of the company, through a contract awarded by the state government to save some areas from being washed off by erosion.