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It was all tears and frustrations in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area as erosion swallowed properties worth over N200 million.

Commenting on the calamity, amidst anguish, Rommy  Ezeonwuka  in whose Stadium the properties were based blamed  the environmental disaster on the gully erosion control work going on at the Oba axis of  the Owerri -bound  lane of the Onitsha-Owerri expressway

The sports facility investor said the flood path which led to the collapse of one lane of the road was blocked to prevent the collapse of the second lane, thereby diverting flood flow to the Stadium.

According to him, “the stadium which I built with my youthful energy for the development of youths in Nigeria is being destroyed by flood.

“As I am talking to you, property worth over N200 million has been ruined because flood water in the area   hit the stadium.

“The control work  going on has blocked the original channel which led to the collapse of one lane. Now, the entire flood is channeled to my Stadium,” he said.

Also speaking, Johnny Obinwa, the Manager of the stadium corroborated the account of Ezeonwuka.

He said every little rain now generates flood that rose above the culvert at the entrance gate because of concrete barricades that were used to stop vehicles from plying the collapsed portion.

“Water now pours into the Stadium from the expressway. Our perimeter fences have all collapsed. The Ogilisi Garden is destroyed, the impact is much and the cost is huge,” he said.

However, all hopes appeared not to have been lost as Senator Victor Umeh representing Anambra Central Senätorial District, and a team of Anambra state government officials consisting of the Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, Ernest Ezeajughi; Commissioners for Works, and  Environment, Ifeanyi Okoma and  Felix Odimegwu, visited the erosion sites and begged the federal government for urgent intervention.

depleting the already small landmass of the zone which he described as the erosion capital of Nigeria.

In his speech during the visit of the state government’s team to the sites, Governor Soludo’s Chief of Staff, Ezeajughi lamented that there were over 1,000 active erosion sites in Anambra State alone, adding that there was an urgent need to tackle the Onitsha-Owerri Road erosion, as the movement of goods and persons would be stalled once the other part of the road caves in.

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 this Onitsha-Owerri road by Oba erosion wash-off is a major devastation and we are not waiting for the federal government, even though it is their responsibility”.

“There is no doubt that the people bearing the hardship are nd? Anambra, and as such, Anambra State government has embarked on intervention to arrest the situation before other measures.”


The state Commissioner for Works, Ifeanyi Okoma said: “We are in talks with the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA and they are already on it. But it will be a long process”.

“We don’t have an option, we moved a contractor that will continue with the second objective, to stop further mudslides”.

SOURCE:
Vanguard
Tears, anguish as erosion swallows N200m property in Anambra
