The Nation Newspaper

Tag: erosion

  • Erosion: scourge of the Southeast

    Two communities in Anambra State are the latest to seek urgent help against gully erosion in a region devastated by the soil menace. EMMA ELEKWA and OGOCHUKWU IKEJE report

    I Nibo and Umuawulu, two communities in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State are inches away from being separated.

    Separated by what?

    Separated by erosion.

    A large part of the old tarred road linking both communities has caved in, revealing an abyss of fresh red earth so deep you need a long ladder to get to the bottom.

    Residents of the two towns said they need urgent help. They made that clear to the state governor Willie Obiano.

    Their need is obvious, but they are not the only ones needing help. Virtually all the states in the Southeast are ravaged by gully erosion in various degrees. There is said to be over 2,800 active gully erosion sites in the region.

    Erosion poses grave danger to the people. It claims lives, and causes ghastly car crashes resulting in deaths and serious injuries. Farms and arable lands are swept away, leaving the farmers agonising over where to till, plant their crops and feed their families.

    In some communities in the region, residents live in houses perched on the edge of the precipice created by gully erosion. Some homes have been pulled down several feet below, such that people stand on the edge of disaster scene staring down into the deep gulf below.

    During heavy downpours, erosions show their uglier sides. Fast-flowing flood waters sweep away anything in its way, and there are so many such things.

    It is a regrettable reality across the five Southeast states, from Anambra to Imo, and from Abia to Ebonyi and Enugu.

    In Anambra, Governor Obiano has cried out for help. So have his counterparts in the other states. Response is slow, if any at all, leaving the people in agony.

    Residents of Nibo and Umuawulu, the two Anambra communities being ravaged by the menace, have launched an appeal to their state government to urgently intervene because the erosion is threatening to divide their communities.

    They said the bridge currently serving as a boundary between Umuawulu and Nibo communities might soon collapse as a result of the erosion.

    One of the residents, Mr Chijioke Mmadueke described the gully as an ugly sight capable of sinking the road and cutting off the communities.

    “The erosion site at Agbani village, Umuawulu has eaten deep into the major road connecting other agrarian communities within the area,” he said.

    In Idemili area of the state, gully erosion has cut off half of the road linking Uke with Ideani and Nnobi communities.

    “The gully is so deep it is about the height of a two-storey building,” said a man who hails from the area.

    Reacting to the menace, Deputy Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Harford Oseke lamented the dangers in communities being cut off as a result of erosion.

    He said the last torrential rains contributed to the menace, as the bridge was flooded, impeding vehicular movement.

    “I personally sponsored the construction of the bridge in 2013 to reduce pains of the people before the construction of the road.

    “It is the only access road to Umunze, Amaokpala and other agrarian communities. We are known for agriculture, with the best `joints for bush meat.

    “Once the road is cut off, it will distort the socio economic activities in the area. It is only the road that farmers use to evacuate their agricultural produce.

    “I call on the federal and state government to urgently intervene and save our community from this menace,” the lawmaker added.

    Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Marcel Ifejiofor, an engineer, has assured of government’s immediate interventions through the State Road Maintenance Agency (ARMA) to ensure the area was linked back to other communities.

    He described the ugly development as a natural disaster especially with the constant rainfall, urging motorists plying the route to use alternative roads.

    Ifejiofor, who led a government team to the site, observed that one of the two bridges along Nibo-Umuawulu Road has collapsed, while the other is threatening to cave in.

    He however assured that the road would be put back to use in the next 48 hours.

    Also speaking, Managing Director of Anambra State Road Maintenance Agency (ARMA), Mr Emeka Okoye, an engineer, thanked God that no life was lost, pledging quick mobilisation of his men to the site.

    On his part, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Joel Egwuonu regretted the untold hardship the development has inflicted on the people of the area.

  • Erosion threatens Awka hotel, judiciary buildings

    The Grand Riviera, a popular three-star hotel in Awka, Anambra State, is facing imminent collapse due to gully erosion occasioned by rainfalls.

    The hotel, the Anambra High Court, which is beside it, and the Federal High Court, which is a few metres away, are threatened by erosion.

    The Federal High Court has already lost part of its premises to the erosion and two other buildings are seriously threatened by the environmental challenge.

    The Manager of the hotel, Mr Tagbo Igboka, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that gully erosion started washing away the foundation of the 12-year-old hotel only about two years ago.

    Igboka said the hotel’s management had spent not less than N20 million on erosion control and repair works since the “unwanted visitor” started encroaching.

    “This is a very popular hotel in Awka. Two former presidents have lodged here including former governors and ministers but, as you can see, erosion is threatening to destroy it.

    “This monument has served for 12 years, but we have battled this menace for five years and spent no less than N20 million to prevent the worst from happening.

    “We have received high-powered delegations on inspection here; people from the Federal Ministry of Environment, the ecological fund and even our own state ministry of environment have visited.

    “However, there has not been any intervention to mitigate the threat from them. The entire buffer you see here, even this one that recently gave way, was done by us. “Yet as a corporate organisation, we have been paying our dues to government,” the manager told NAN.

    Igboka noted that the problem was caused by a particular erosion channel which had made the entire zone a “disaster area”. He said if the channel was linked to the Imoka River, the problem of erosion would be solved.

    The manager expressed the fear that the hotel, which is valued at hundreds of millions, would become rubbles at the onset of another rainy season, if nothing was done about the challenge. Igboka called on the federal and the state governments to speedily intervene to control the menace to prevent an avoidable predicament turning into a disaster.

  • Erosion: hotel, judiciary buildings in danger

    The Grand Riviera, a popular three-star hotel in Awka, is facing imminent collapse due to gully erosion occasioned by rainfalls, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The hotel, the Anambra High Court, which is beside it, and the Federal High Court which is a few metres away are all being threatened by erosion.

    NAN reports that the Federal High Courts has already lost part of its premises to the erosion and two other buildings are seriously threatened by the environmental challenge.

    Manager of the hotel Mr Tagbo Igboka, said gully erosion started washing away the foundation of the 12-year old hotel, only about two years ago.

    Igboka said the hotel’s management had spent not less than N20 million on erosion control and repair works since the ‘unwanted visitor’ started encroaching.

    “This is a very popular hotel in Awka. Two former presidents have lodged here including former governors and ministers, but as you can see erosion is threatening to destroy it.

    “These monument has served for 12 years, but we have battled this menace for five years and spent no less than N20 million to prevent the worst from happening.

    “We have received high-powered delegations on inspection here; people from the Federal Ministry of Environment, the ecological fund and even our own state ministry of environment have visited.

    “However, there has not been any intervention to mitigate the threat from them. The entire buffer you see here, even this one that recently gave way, was done by us.

    “Yet as a corporate organisation, we have been paying our dues to government,” the manager told NAN.

    Igboka noted that the problem was caused by a particular erosion channel, which had made the entire area a ‘disaster area’.

    He said that if the channel was linked to the Imoka River, the problem of erosion would be solved.

    The manager expressed the fear that the hotel, which is valued at hundreds of millions, would become rubbles at the onset of another rainy season if nothing was done about the challenge.

  • Erosion: Engineers advocate better environment management

    The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has blamed man-made factors for the devastating effects of erosion menace in Anambra State and the entire southeast. The Chairman of NSE, Awka Branch, Mr Edmund Nkalu, , made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday.

    Nkalu said erosion menace in Anambra was caused primarily by the soil type which was prone to erosion and the topography also increased the speed of runoff water which had helped the activities of storm water.

    He, however, said that manmade factors including indiscriminate construction of buildings, covering of soil surfaces with concrete slabs, no or out dated urban designs and poor project supervision were exacerbating the menace.

    Nkalu said people should imbibe the habit of keeping green surroundings as well as make adequate arrangements to ensure that rain water from their premises was properly collected and channeled.

    “It is clear that storm water has been causing enormous damage in this part of the country, especially in Anambra, but it is not a new event as it has been with us for a while.

    “There are manmade and natural factors that cause erosion but the man-made factor is an area that interest us.

    “What can we do to reduce and control erosion which occurs as a result of human activities?

    “At the individual level, people should design their buildings in such a way that flood water from rain can be absorbed in the soil, instead of these concrete floors which prevent water from percolating into the soil and increase the speed of runoff.

    “It is ignorance that makes people to seal off the floor unlike in other climes where people only cover the portion for walkway to the house and leave the other areas green and to absolve the water.

    “Let people begin to plant grass, there is nothing bad in having farm or garden in compounds,” he said.

    Nkalu said the society decided to focus on effective procurement process in its forthcoming lecture because of its role in ensuring sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects.

    He condemned the collapse of  roads and structures due to erosion, blaming it on poor adherence to standards and supervision.

    He urged government agencies, developers, community leaders to attend the lecture which was designed for the purpose of enhancing service delivery in both the public and private sectors.

    “The Society of Engineers is not comfortable with roads collapsing within two years; we are calling on the supervisory agencies to step up their functions and help check the loss of scarce funds that goes into poor quality jobs.

    “We need a concerted effort of the approval agencies, the physical planning board, the city development agencies, the Ministry of Environment to come up with a master plan designs. “Specifications for road designs should be strictly adhered to, there are challenges of paucity of which make the contractors to cut corners.

    “The procurement system must be thorough, the material quality must meet standards, the contractor must be competent and the cost of contract must be realistic to be able to build a quality road,” he said.

    The chairman said the society was interested in good governance which according to him, was all about service delivery in every sector of the economy.

  • Save Lagos from coastal erosion, NCF urges FG

    The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), yesterday appealed to the Federal Government to save Lagos State from being wiped out by coastline erosion.

    The foundation made the call at a conference in Lagos on the dangers of a fast eastward ocean current eating up several meters of land daily on the Lekki and Victoria Island axis.

    NCF’s chairman, Chief Ede Dafinone, said several coastal communities had been washed away and if no immediate action was taken, the Lagos Island would be underwater by 2030 and the whole of Lagos by 2050.

    According to him, the problem of coastline erosion started during the colonial era when mounds  were created to protect the Apapa-Wharf.

    He said the impact caused a backlash on the Lekki axis causing an overflow of the Bar Beach, but that the Eko Atlantic City Project later protected the Bar Beach forcing the problem further downstream.

    He said the Lagos State Government began the construction of groins around the Eko Atlantic City and Bar Beach towards Elegushi Beach to solve the problem.

    He explained that the state government had taken the initiative to erect over 15 groins that effectively protected and replenished the coast for up to 14 kilometers.

    “It costs about a billion Naira to construct one groin and Lagos States Government’s inability to continue the project in the last 18 months suggested that they were overwhelmed by the problem,” he said.

  • Erosion, Flood Control: EFO laments paucity of funds

    The Ecological Fund Office (EFO) at the Presidency has complained of paucity of funds to address environmental challenges confronting the country.

    It said the Office received about 1.1 trillion requests from states, specifically for soil erosion and flood control, which did not include drought, desertification and coastal zone management, nor does it include pollution control.

    EFO Permanent Secretary, Dr. Habiba Lawal disclosed this in Abuja during an interactive session with reporters.

    Lawal, who called for the timely release of ecological funds by the Federal Government, urged states and local governments to apply their shares, rather than rely on the Federal Government.

    Lawal added that since 2015, no fund has been set aside for ecological programmes. She regrets that in this administration, no approval has been granted from the fund. “The greatest challenge we are facing is the dearth of funds. The country is faced with a lot of ecological issues with meagre funds to tackle them. Regrettably, what we noticed is that while one is being solved, another one is being created,” she explained.

    On projects completion and inauguration, Lawal revealed that outstanding completed projects would be inauguration in few weeks and handed-over to the various benefiting communities. She said the projects implemented since commencement of this administration would be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    “Since the inception of this administration in May 2015, 88 projects were warded, 45 have been completed and 43 are still on-going. About 90 per cent are on soil erosion,” Lawal said. She however warned that if the entire problem were left to the Federal Government alone, less impact would be recorded.

  • Relief in Abia erosion communities

    Help is on the way for the people of Uturu, a comunity in Isiukwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, where soil erosion has been wreaking havoc.

    Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has promised to tackle the problem.

    The state government is also poised to arrest the perennial  gully erosion threatening the people of Umuda Isingwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of the state.

    Ikpeazu assured traditional rulers from Isiukwuato council that his government would do everything possible to assist the villages in the area. It was also reassuring that as the governor made those promises, earth-moving machines were already at work at the Umuda Isingwu erosion site.

    The Nation gathered that the erosion work at Isingwu, where former finance minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s husband hails from, is being handled by Hartland Construction Company, a division of Setraco Limited.

    Reports have it that the erosion control was a joint action between the Abia State Government and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).

    State government sources said the state has paid counterpart funds for the project, and that  residents who are affected by the work would be adequately compensated.

    Speaking at the project flag-off held at a nearby primary school which is also threatened by  gully erosion, Governor Ikpeazu expressed happiness that finally the project is taking off and with an A-rated contractor that will ensure that the work is done according to specification and completed within 20 months.

    “If we fail to do this today, homes, schools, farmlands and churches will be seriously affected by this natural menace and we cannot afford that”.

    Speaking with the traditional rulers at the Government House in Umuahia, Ikpeazu said that his administration was making efforts to ensure that there was water supply in the Isiukwuato community.

    Leader of the delegation Eze Silas Chukwu and Eze Cletus Ogbonnaya appreciated the Governor for appointing their sons and daughters, including Lady Loveth Ufoegbu, Hon. Osita Igbe of the immediate past cabinet, and his assistance in ensuring that Uturu clan produces a local government area chairman, something that eluded them for decades.

    The traditional rulers also used the opportunity provided by the visit to adopt Ikpeazu as their 2019 governorship candidate.

     

  • FEC approves N5.57 billion for soil erosion control 

    FEC approves N5.57 billion for soil erosion control 

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N5.567 billion for third quarter payment of soil erosion control accelerated intervention to different geopolitical zones.

    Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina said this to State House reporters at the end of FEC meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He was with the Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh and the Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika.

    Adesina said the states benefiting from the N5.57 billion included Kano, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Enugu and Bayelsa.

    Minister of Agriculture said the council approved the development for foundation seeds for maize to the Institute of Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

    The research, he said, will cost the sum of N165 million for 30 tonnes of foundation seeds multiplied by 265 tonnes of improved seeds, which is to be given to seeds companies to multiply.

    He noted that one of the problems facing maize production in the country was lack of the right quality of seeds as the agronomic practices are not very high.

    This, he said, is responsible for the yields per hectare being among the lowest in the world.

    According to him, the council also discussed the disturbing trend of smuggling, which, he said, is impacting negatively on the country.

    He said: “We have to deal with that because while we are making a great deal of progress in our production of grains, the smugglers are trying to compromise the successes we have achieved.

    “I can give you some figures. Between September 2015 and now, rice importation through the ports have dropped from 644,131 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes in September this year, which means that by the end of this year to the early part of next year, we can literally say we are closed to total self-sufficiency in rice.

    “On the other hand, in Republic of Benin, rice importation has increased to 1.33 million tonnes because they don’t eat parboiled rice, they eat white rice. So, every grain of rice landing there is heading for Nigeria through smuggling and some of it also comes in through Niger Republic.

    “These are issues to deal with because we want local rice production to meet our needs and we are creating jobs.

    “There are at least 12.2 million farmers in the country now and they are enjoying life the way they haven’t before. So, these are the issues we raised today.”

    He added that the government was determined to move against smugglers as the country was currently losing over $5 billion to the nefarious activities.

    According to him, delays in rice millers setting up mills were also contributing to the huge sum being lost to smuggling.

    He said: “The delays happen because many of the millers tell me that they can’t mill because of the activities of smugglers. They mill the rice. The smugglers dump them at N12,500. And the smugglers can dump at N12,500 because they are subsidised from Thailand. They are determined to see that we don’t succeed. We can’t do that because we can’t subsidise to that level…

    “We say if everything goes well without the smugglers, our people should be able to sell here at N13,500 per bag. They agreed, but then the smugglers are coming and the millers are holding back. I alone can’t solve the problem. That was why the President had to say yesterday during the 2018 budget presentation at National Assembly that we will come down hard on activities of smugglers because they are doing us a lot of damage. In fact, the World Bank says that they are costing us $5 billion worth of loss per annum. We keep fighting, little here, a little there. We ‘ll get there.”

    The Minister of State for Aviation said the council approved bilateral air services agreement with Canada.

    “Federal executive council today approved the signing of a bilateral air services agreement with Canada as part of efforts to boost relations between both countries including trade and commerce. It would be a standard agreement to facilitate the movement of people and business transactions,” he stated.

  • Erosion destroys 200 graves in Kano

    Erosion destroys 200 graves in Kano

    Dr. Ali Makoda, the Kano State Commissioner of Environment, says erosion destroy more than 200 graves at Tudun Murtala grave yard in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

    The commissioner announced this on Saturday when he visited the Tarauni Grave yard in Tarauni Local Government as part of the state’s monthly sanitation exercise.

    “Immediately when we received the news, we took an urgent action to ensure that such disaster did not continue.

    “Presently we embark on the renovation of many grave yards across the state, especially those at the areas where they are facing the challenges of erosion,’’ he said.

    He commended a community development association of the sanitation team at the grave for their efforts at keeping the grave yard clean.

    The commissioner pledged to continue to give them all necessary support, especially with the working material to encourage them.

    He called on other volunteer groups to also embark on such self-help work with the aim to move the state forward and ensure that all grave yards remained clean.

    Makoda commended the public for complying with the sanitation order, calling on them to continue to support the government to keep the state clean.

    The leader of the Tarauni Youth Initiative, Malam Salisu Adamu, appealed to the state government to assist them with all the necessary working materials that could assist them to carry out their duties effectively.

    “We are also appealing to the government to come to the aide of some volunteers who are always at the grave yard to dig graves.

    “Before, each of the workers was paid N3,000 monthly, but for over two years now, they have not been paid at all’’, Adamu said.

  • Erosion menace

    • Time to use Ecology Fund specifically for ecological purposes

    Erosion menace in the South-east and South-south is assuming a frightening dimension, and governments at the federal, state and local levels must rekindle their efforts to arrest the situation. Also, community-based associations must show interest. Part of the challenge in the past was the abuse of the Ecological Fund. Indeed, the departed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) treated it as a slush fund. We bet that many of the states which have communities in the throes of extinction as a result of erosion joined in the reverie of merriment while tragedy loomed. That must stop.

    The recent effort by Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndigbo) to sensitise the people of the South-east on the menace of erosion is a step in the right direction. Other community-based associations should show interest, and partner with governments to solve the problem. The call for tree planting and strict monitoring of erosion control projects is right. Also, the call to monitor road construction with respect to providing water channels should be followed by communities. Erosion has wiped out private homes, schools, churches and public buildings and climate change can only make it worse.

    The government of Muhammadu Buhari after redressing the injustice of the past, in the distribution of the Ecological Fund, must now return the funds to its original purpose. The fund should only be used for restitution where ecological tragedy beckons or strikes. The era of public officials shamelessly dipping their filthy fingers into the fund to satiate greed, instead of filling gorges created by erosion should end. Those who unlawfully took from the fund in the past should be made to account.

    The ministries of environment at the federal and state levels must work in synergy, to stem the tide. Part of the challenge is that instead of being proactive, the relevant agencies have been reactive. They only act when communities are threatened or gone under, instead of stopping the advance. We believe that a detailed mapping of the affected areas and a study of the pattern of movement of erosion will help stem it. Where a likely partway is detected, some reinforcement could save lives and property.

    Such studies will also warn communities likely to be affected by erosion to work to change the causes. Where there are contributory factors, like channelling of storm water, over-cultivation of land or similar manmade causes, the community could be counselled to stop them. Also, where reinforcement of gorges could save the situation, or relocation is the only solution, necessary steps could be taken before tragedy strikes. The present instances of sudden and severe danger confronting communities, show lack of organisation.

    It is also unacceptable that with faculties of soil science and other related disciplines in many of our universities, we are unable to develop some sturdy weeds or other scientific breakthroughs to stem the menace of erosion. Even as federal and state agencies take measures to control erosion, universities and other research institutes should devote resources to understudy and find scientific ways to deal with the problem. Part of the Ecological Fund can be used to fund universities and research institutes in that respect.

    The immediate step however is to return Ecological Fund to its constitutional purpose. It should no longer be a slush fund for party politics. It should be strictly for ecologically challenged states, and specifically to address ecology problems. The notion of giving it to party faithful or as a presidential largesse to governors who are in good standing with the president should seize.

    President Buhari has the moral character to stop the abuse and restore the fund to its pristine purpose.