The senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Dr Victor Umeh, OFR, has appealed to the federal government, the Senate and the Anambra State Government to urgently intervene to save Obosi and Ogidi communities in Idemili North Local Government Area from worsening erosion and flooding.

Obosi is the hometown of former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, while Ogidi is the hometown of the late acclaimed novelist, Prof Chinua Achebe.

Umeh made the appeal on Saturday, when he undertook an on-the-spot assessment of the erosion menace ravaging communities on the local government area.

This is coming as a group of distressed women at the scene of erosion devastation in Obosi threw themselves on the ground during the visit, crying and appealing for urgent government intervention.

Umeh who inspected the gully called for the declaration of a state of emergency on the general ecological challenges confronting Anambra State, warning that the state’s limited landmass was gradually being “eaten up” by erosion.

He said the scale of the ecological disaster had become too enormous for the Anambra State Government alone to tackle, stressing the need for coordinated intervention by the Federal Government and other relevant agencies.

At Ugamuma, Obosi, Umeh was confronted by the devastating effects of the erosion, with farmlands and roads already affected and several houses reportedly at risk of being swallowed by the expanding gully.

The senator also visited the home of the traditional ruler of Ogidi community, Igwe Pharmacist Alex Onyido, who was sacked from his palace early in the week by flood.

Umeh said: “I urge the Federal Government to declare the Idemili Basin an environmental disaster zone in view of the recurring flooding and erosion ravaging the area.

“I will take up the Obosi and Ogidi erosion and flooding crises with the chaiam Senate committee on environment. I will also see the minister of environment and other authorities in Abuja.

“Upon the resumption of the Senate from recess, I will ensure that the issue is brought before the Senate through appropriate legislative action and I will also pursue intervention from relevant federal agencies.

“This palace is the home of the traditional ruler of Ogidi community. He is a known personality, a pharmacist and has companies that manufacture drugs in this community. So you can see that he is not just an ordinary person. This whole palace was submerged by flood days back and you all saw it on the internet. This is also the community of the world renowned author, the Late Prof China Achebe. So, it’s not a place government can afford to ignore,” Umeh said.

THISDAY witnessed that several residents within Ugamuma, Obosi area had already abandoned their houses for fear that they may cave in. The erosion also totally cut off people of the area from neighbouring villages as a major road collapsed, leaving behind a huge gully. (AriseNews TV)

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