REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
The federal government has been urged to declare Idemili North and South Local government areas of Anambra State erosion disaster zone.
The call was made by the Senator Representing Anambra Central District at the National Assembly, Chief Victor Umeh shortly after inspecting the damage done by erosion at Ugamuma village in Obosi.
Senator Umeh said declaring the local government areas erosion disaster zones would enable the government to attract necessary support from the international community to tackle the environmental menace that has continued to ravage communities in the areas.
He said that the Senate had set up an ad-hoc committee that compiled erosion prone areas across the country including Anambra state and submitted the document to the authorities for action.
” Federal government should declare the area, Erosion disaster zone.so that appropriate attention will be given to this area. This is no longer erosion it is landslide, as huge as it is government of Nigeria can do something, this is something that is far beyond the state government. So it is something that the federal government will do using the relevant international agencies”
While sympathising with the owners of the buildings being threatened by the erosion Senator Umeh called on the Anambra State government to collaborate relevant federal government agencies to ensure that the situation is tackled without further delay.
He commended individuals who had commenced palliative work at the Ugamuma erosion site but observed that there was the need for urgent State and federal government intervention to address the problem.
” This is where the government shall rise above any consideration both partisan or anything, to save the lives of the people. All this people that are crying behind me , they are not politicians they are not looking for anything but good governance, if we can provide for them, they will be happy. If you allow this place and it is washed away and government fails to do anything for any reason being it political or whatever, the people are the ones suffering “
The senator also visited Oba, Nkpor and other communities where erosion had also watched away houses and farmlands.
