The threat of erosion in the Southeast, unattended to for decades, gets worse in Anambra State, reports NWANOSIKE ONU
Life, property and virtually everything the people cherish are in danger in a community in Anambra State. Roads are threatened as much as bridges, farmlands and homes. The people of Ezira in Orumba South Local Government Area hardly sleep as a result of erosion.
Many communities in the Southeast and Southsouth have been sacked by this monster, while governments at different levels have done pretty little to salvage the situation.
Anambra was some years ago declared the worst erosion-hit state by the World Bank with over 1,000 gullies.
Some of the affected communities are Agulu, Nnewi, Nanka, Ekwulobia, Onitsha North, Awka North and South, Oko, Ozubulu, Isuofia and Igboukwu, among others.
Now, Ezira, an agrarian community made up of three villages namely, Ubaha, Obotu and Umuohia-Oki has joined the fray.
The community produces yam, cassava, beans, plantains, okra and vegetables in large quantities but lacks access roads to evacuate them to major cities because of the erosion challenge.
One of the community roads, a 7km stretch spanning Eke-Ezira Market, Uga and Ekwulobia through Onne, Agbudu, Umuchu and Achina communities, has been cut off.
The two major bridges of Aghomili and Omumu that link those areas have equally collapsed.
The residents of this sleepy community are in agony, saying they have been abandoned by government.
Some help has come. A philanthropist in the state, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo gave out N500,000 to the Ezira people, a gesture he described as his own widow’s mite.
The chairman of Ubaha Ezira, Mr. Jude Umunna told The Nation that the community had sent save our soul (SOS) calls to the state government without any response so far.
He commended Ezeemo for the cash donation to the community, adding that the community had already started some palliative work on one of their roads with their meager resources to make it passable.
Umunna said, “It’s now the rainy season and tropical rains will continue to dump on the road till September or October, digging more ditches and causing more harm to the community.”
“Our greatest regret is that our governor flagged off the road in March last year during the House of Assembly election.
“He brought in caterpillars and bulldozers which motivated our people to vote massively for his party, APGA, but surprisingly, he removed those machines two days after the election till today.
“Now, look at the problem we are facing to evacuate our farm produce and Ezira is one of the food baskets of the state.
“We are therefore calling on the government at all levels to assist us as Ezeemo, an individual, cannot do it alone; let government come to our aid.”
Another community leader, Ichie Christopher Mbah regretted that the bad condition of the area has stopped people in the cities and other communities from coming to Ezira to buy farm produce.
“Hunger is really dealing with us,” he said. “We cannot sell our produce to buy others that we do not produce; if not for the intervention of Ezeemo, I do not know what our fate would have been.”
Also, Mrs. Nwano Rosaline and Susan Okeke, while commending Ezeemo, said access road and palliative measures in controlling the gully erosion are the basic needs of the community.
On the importance of the road, Mr. Linus Okeke, reminded Governor Willie Obiano of his agricultural programme for the state, which he said topped his four pillars of development.
He wondered how it would be realized with the condition of such roads in most of the rural communities said to be the food baskets of the state.
According to him, “There is no incident of crime and criminality in Ezira and its environs because we are all farmers and our youths are serious with agriculture but lack of access roads to evacuate these products may make them lazy and so may resort to crime and that is why we are calling on the governor to come and help us”
Speaking with the reporter, Ezeemo said he was motivated to make the donation because that road led to his primary school when he was growing up, and also to the local market where his late mother went to buy food items.
He said, “So when I asked after the market, I was told that erosion had eaten off the road. I want to bring back the old memories of the area and again, I equally have a farmland that is about 2,900 plots in Ezira and Umuomaku communities.”
