… Pledges to construct Oko-Ogboji-Ajalli Road
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Saturday, visited the Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state to inspect the erosion menace in Ezioko Village popularly known as Mbuze Akama.
The erosion menace which has defied all community’s efforts at mitigating it recently witnessed a landslide which sent some residents of the area including a structural engineer, Prof. Henry Aginam packing from their homes.
The governor, on arrival, was conducted round the erosion site by the Transition Committee Chairman of Orumba North Local Government Area, Hon. Sir Ogo Ekwueme alongside prominent members of the community including former Special Assistant to the President on Ecological Matters, Hon. Handel Okoli. Ekwueme also took the governor and his entourage to the house of Prof. Henry Aginam which has since been vacated on account of the recent landslide in the area, highlighting efforts by the community to curb incursions by the erosion into people’s homes and farmlands.
Speaking, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo who was shocked at the enormity of the erosion said that he was in the community to see things for himself having seen different video clips and reports in the recent landslide that occurred in the area. The governor who informed that the cost of tackling the menace was way beyond the capacity of the state government to handle maintained that no state could handle it adding that efforts should be geared towards knowing what solution was feasible otherwise they would end up with a long list of wishes.
“I said let me come and see things for myself. I have come and I have seen it, there’s another one across the other side. I also went to see it last year. I grew up around this place, so I know how it is. I am here to sympathize with those whose houses have caved into the erosion including Prof. Aginam. I am aware that a lot of people’s homes have caved into the erosion. But I am here for us to put heads together on possible solution.
“I have seen the enormity of the erosion and I have also seen the position paper put together by Oko people on way forward. We have to put heads together.
This erosion is quite devastating but it was not like this before now and that is why I am thinking of what will be done to remedy the situation. However, there are roles every resident of Oko, Amaokpala, Ekwulobia, Isuofia and Aguluezechukwu should play in all this. Only the State Government cannot handle this situation.
“I said it elsewhere that if you channel all the Anambra State fund into erosion control, for more than twenty years, you won’t still solve the problem. That is to say that it is way above government capacity. But there are roles we can play on our own and the way I see it, we have two or more options. First of all, I want to appreciate you all for the bamboo you people are planting. That is to show that you understand that heaven helps those who help themselves.
“Do not despair as a lot still need to be done. There are roles individual resident of Oko should play, there are roles the villages in Oko should play just as there are roles Oko as a community should equally play. Also, there are roles that the Local Government and the State Government should play. Part of it is that house owners should dig catchment pits in their compound to ensure that no water runs out of their homes into the streets”, he said.
On sand dredging around the area, Governor Soludo promised to set up a committee urgently which would include stakeholders from Oko, Nanka, Awgbu, Amaokpala and Ekwulobia and “bring everybody together on a roundtable to discuss the way forward so that sand dredging will stop.”
“While the people dredging the sand are making money, some other people are suffering the devastating effect of their actions and that is what we are seeing here now. So, we will bring these communities together and we will set up the committee urgently.
“I heard that there’s a flood channel which was blocked from Nanka axis thereby diverting all the flood to Oko. We will go and inspect it and open where necessary, the blocked channels and part of the plans will include siting catchment pits along the drainage during road construction so as to mitigate the effects of flooding and the flood pressure will be reduced.
“There’s need to come up with a legislation to make it an offence for people to channel water from homes to the roads. Secondly, portions of land will be designated for catchment pits so that the flood pressure will be greatly reduced”, he added.
Governor Soludo commiserated with Oko community over erosion that has ravaged it for long time, even as he pledged that the state government would support them with 30 million naira as a disaster response fund. He further promised to construct the road that connects the community to Ogboji, a community in Orumba South Local Government Area through the Pal Brewery road.
Earlier, members of the community including Hon. Handel Okoli and the President General of Oko People’s Union, Mr. Amaechi Okoli who spoke randomly on the possible causes of the erosion/landslide identified drainage system allegedly blocked by Nanka community, excavation of sand by some members of Oko community, lack of personal drainage system by house owners in the community, negligence on the side of other non-affected members of the community among other numerous factors as being responsible.
Present during the visit were the Member representing Orumba North State Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Emeka Aforka, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odumegwu, Commissioner for Works, Hon. Ifeanyi Okoma among others.
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