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Senator Ekwunife Urges Buharii To Urgengly Intervene In Erosion Disaster Devastating South East Zone





Tragedy struck the village of Otuke and Owerri Ajah Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State where a family of three lost their lives due to heavy down pour that devastated buildings, roads and farm land in the two communities.
The unfortunate incident occurred at  the early hour of Thursday where a canal close to the residence of Mr. Chibuzor Anago and his family collapsed and carved the building fence into their living room.
Ashiwaju.org gathered that the family were asleep before the unfortunate incident happened and were woken to their death on that unfortunate morning.

Speaking to Journalists, a Resident of Okute and Owerri Ajah Obosi,  Mr. John Akabueze described the incident as inevitable, owing to the fact that the building is closed to a large gully erosion, which the state government tried to arrest by constructing the canal, but   was later metamorphosed into a larger erosion that needed urgent government attention to forestall greater future  disaster to the two communities.
His words; ‘ I want to appeal to government of all tiers to come to our aid, because, if this erosion is not quickly arrested, am sure that this village you see now may  soon  be covered by this erosion’.
The Canal is blocked and government waste disposal agency never took it as a duty to remove that debris and our people too do contribute to the hazard by dumping refuse in the drains, which is now assisting the erosion to expand than its normal shape’’.
While commiserating with the community,  the senator representing Anambra central in the National Assembly. Senator Uche Ekwunife condemned the act of residents dumping refuse in the drains and called on government of all tiers to assist in the erosion control of the state.
She lamented that the people would suffer a disaster though not man-made but could be avoided, and leverage on the need for the local government system independence, to enable it discharge its duty creditable.
Senator Ekwunife enjoined the present administration to ensure fund accrued to the local government areas get to them without undue interruption from the state governments, being the closest tier of government to the grassroots.
‘’Let me put this straight that the local government authorities  in Nigeria need to be strengthened and I want to call for financial autonomy of the local government system as the benchmark for  democratic development and the closet tier  of government to the grassroots.
I also want to call on federal government to kindly give urgent attention to correcting some major erosion menace beveling the people of south east and urge President Buhari to kindly consider this as one of the major challenges the people of the zone would need him to address URGENTLY ’ Ekwunife appealed.


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