AWKA— Residents of Oduke, Ugwuagba, Obosi, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra, have appealed to the state and Federal Governments to urgently intervene in a devastating gully erosion threatening homes, roads and other infrastructure in the area.
The residents said the erosion had cut off the road linking Awada and Electrical axis of Obosi, making movement increasingly difficult and disrupting access to schools, markets, healthcare facilities and business premises.
Mr Chiemelie Nduka, Chairman of the Ugwuagba Obosi Landlord Association, and Mr Lawrence Machebe, the association’s Secretary, made the appeal in interviews with the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) while speaking on the worsening erosion situation in the community.
Nduka and Machebe said the erosion started after the road was graded and the project was subsequently abandoned by the previous administration, adding that the situation had progressively deteriorated.
They said residents had made several self-help efforts to contain the menace, including constructing culverts and drainage channels, but the measures had not been sufficient to stop the expansion of the gully.
The association leaders appealed to the state and Federal Governments to deploy appropriate engineering solutions to the area, warning that continued deterioration could cause further damage to residential buildings, roads and other public infrastructure.
Responding to the situation, the Acting Managing Director of the Anambra State Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Agency (ANSWECCA), Engr. Ifeanyi Nwasinoke, urged residents to work with relevant government agencies to control the erosion and prevent further environmental degradation.
Nwasinoke stressed the importance of collective responsibility, reminding residents that “an injury to one should concern all,” while urging them to avoid activities capable of aggravating the menace.
He specifically cautioned residents against dumping refuse into drainage channels and erosion sites, explaining that indiscriminate waste disposal could block water channels and worsen flooding and gully formation.
The appeal comes amid renewed efforts by the Anambra Government and ANSWECCA to assess and address erosion and flooding threats across vulnerable communities in the state, with officials repeatedly stressing the need for government intervention and responsible environmental practices by residents.
