That Anambra State is adjudged as the most
erosion devastated state in Nigeria, with over three thousand different erosion
sites scattered across many communities of the state is an issue that needs
urgent federal and international agencies attention.
erosion devastated state in Nigeria, with over three thousand different erosion
sites scattered across many communities of the state is an issue that needs
urgent federal and international agencies attention.
It is evident that the prone nature of the
devastating ecological disaster, if no serious attention is structured toward
arresting the awful degradation, the state might in the near future be completely
carved out of the country map, due to the gory and virile landscaping carnage,
which the erosion disaster is gradually increasing by the day to claim more
landed space to its expansion.
devastating ecological disaster, if no serious attention is structured toward
arresting the awful degradation, the state might in the near future be completely
carved out of the country map, due to the gory and virile landscaping carnage,
which the erosion disaster is gradually increasing by the day to claim more
landed space to its expansion.
Nigerian Senate ad hoc committee on roads, which inspected dilapidated road
infrastructure and erosion sites in the state.
Addressing journalists at Amansea, boundary
between Enugu and Anmabra state, the chairman, senate ad hoc committee on
roads, Senator Barnabas Gemade expressed disappointment in the country’s road
management and maintenance structure, which he assured that the change agent government
of President Muhammadu Buhari would lived up to its expectation in the bid to
find a lasting solution to the erosion problem in the south eastern states part of
the country.
He said: “ This erosion you are seeing here
is not an ordinary ravage, this is what
we called grand canyon, it’s a matter of very! Very!! Serious planning
in order to arrest what this erosion is doing here and I think there is need
for a big study in the conceded effort in planning to ensure that this is
arrested as some points, so that it does not consume the whole environment”.
is not an ordinary ravage, this is what
we called grand canyon, it’s a matter of very! Very!! Serious planning
in order to arrest what this erosion is doing here and I think there is need
for a big study in the conceded effort in planning to ensure that this is
arrested as some points, so that it does not consume the whole environment”.
It is something where a visit of this
nature can only spur the technical people in the various agencies of government
that is responsible to come here and do a renewed study so that something can
be done”.
nature can only spur the technical people in the various agencies of government
that is responsible to come here and do a renewed study so that something can
be done”.
“The visit of this ad hoc committee is to
see things here for themselves and to enable us go and put a report that will
really ginger the agencies that is responsibly to action and I believe they
will surely do so as soon as possible”. He assured.
see things here for themselves and to enable us go and put a report that will
really ginger the agencies that is responsibly to action and I believe they
will surely do so as soon as possible”. He assured.
In her world, senator representing Anambra
central, senator Uche Ekwunife decried the levy of neglect being experienced by
the people of the state, on matters of erosion menace which according to here
could have been arrested if concerted efforts had been drawn to save the state
and south east from the erosion carnage.
central, senator Uche Ekwunife decried the levy of neglect being experienced by
the people of the state, on matters of erosion menace which according to here
could have been arrested if concerted efforts had been drawn to save the state
and south east from the erosion carnage.
She suggested that future project execution
that requires high levy man-power and technological input should henceforth be
given to company with proven record and expertise.
“Every erosion is different per day, as the
day goes by, it escalates.
day goes by, it escalates.
“Nanka erosion site is the worst erosion
sites we have in Anambra state, Anambra state has the largest number of erosion
sites in the whole world, as the chairman had rightly said, re-scoping and
redesigning of the project is simply the answer”.
sites we have in Anambra state, Anambra state has the largest number of erosion
sites in the whole world, as the chairman had rightly said, re-scoping and
redesigning of the project is simply the answer”.
“She spoke further, “ I was here when I was
a member of the House of Representatives
and we found out that re-scoping was wrong, redesigning too was wrong”.
a member of the House of Representatives
and we found out that re-scoping was wrong, redesigning too was wrong”.
“The erosion site was design in 2001 and
the contract was given out in 2007 , so you can imagine what seven years in the
life of any erosion site, the matter escalated beyond the capacity of the
contractor, and It is at this point I feel very strongly that federal government
should give erosion contracts to Julius Berger not those small contractors”.
the contract was given out in 2007 , so you can imagine what seven years in the
life of any erosion site, the matter escalated beyond the capacity of the
contractor, and It is at this point I feel very strongly that federal government
should give erosion contracts to Julius Berger not those small contractors”.
“ We beg that the state government should
look into the issue of the land miners, look at the people living around this
vicinities and be able to enlighten them
when it comes to environmental degradation and challenges”.
look into the issue of the land miners, look at the people living around this
vicinities and be able to enlighten them
when it comes to environmental degradation and challenges”.
“Whiteout people been aware of their
environment, without knowing what to do, we will continue to have this
escalated beyond measures.
environment, without knowing what to do, we will continue to have this
escalated beyond measures.
She continues, “ Am sure in the next one year, what we are seeing here will
escalate beyond this, if no remedy comes this year.
escalate beyond this, if no remedy comes this year.
“I want to urge my colleague, Senator
Gemade to take this as a very serious and urgent matter of public importance
for senate and the federal government to come to the aide of Anambra state
government.
Gemade to take this as a very serious and urgent matter of public importance
for senate and the federal government to come to the aide of Anambra state
government.
Anambra state government does not have the
capacity to handle this, they don’t even have the funding to handle this, it is
only federal government that can fund this”.
capacity to handle this, they don’t even have the funding to handle this, it is
only federal government that can fund this”.
“The federal government is even owing
Anambra state government a lot of money in the interventions they carried out in
the past, I believe with continue interaction with my colleagues in the senate,
we will continue to push until federal government comes to our rescue”.She said.
Anambra state government a lot of money in the interventions they carried out in
the past, I believe with continue interaction with my colleagues in the senate,
we will continue to push until federal government comes to our rescue”.She said.
Though, other states in south east and south-south
states have their own share of the erosion disaster, but could not be compared
to the threatening sizes and landscaping monster being experienced in Anambra
state.
states have their own share of the erosion disaster, but could not be compared
to the threatening sizes and landscaping monster being experienced in Anambra
state.
