- Declare a state of emergency on erosion menace, Soludo begs FG
- Onitsha-Owerri road by Oba is a major devastation, says Soludo
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State has appealed to the Federal Government to quickly intervene in the failed portion of the Onitsha-Owerri Road which has been completely cut off by gully erosion.
The appeal was made on Monday by Soludo, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, during an inspection of the site.
He said the state government is acting on an emergency basis and cannot wait for the Federal Government to intervene.
He revealed that Anambra State has over 1,000 active gully erosion sites and the Onitsha-Owerri road incident is just an “appetiser” considering other erosion sites in the state.
He also called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on erosion menace in Anambra State, adding that the people bearing the hardship are ndị Anambra, as such, the state government had embarked on intervention to arrest the situation before other measures.
He said, “We have over 1,000 active erosion sites in Anambra State. This is just one of them. We are acting on an emergency.
“Because the erosion at the Onitsha-Owerri road is a major devastation, we are not waiting for the Federal Government, even though it is their responsibility.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government to quickly intervene and save this road from total collapse.”
The Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ifeanyi Okomma, explained that the erosion is a major one standing at eight kilometers plus 100 along Onitsha-Owerri Road.
He noted that Anambra State Government is doing an intervention action with Soludo’s approval and arrested the situation by stopping the progression of the erosion which Tamad Construction Limited has begun already.
“Having achieved the first objective already, the second objective is to stop more erosion slide while the state waits for the Federal Government,” he added.
The President-General of Oba Community, Sir Obadi Ifedili, appreciated the governor for sending his team to inspect the gully erosion that has been a prevailing problem and also pleaded with the Federal Government for a quick reaction because the road is a federal road that leads to other states.