By Kamsi Anayo
Anambra state government officials on Monday visited a failed portion of Onitsha-Owerri expressway, which was recently cut-off by erosion, and begged for immediate Federal Government intervention.
Erosion had a week ago cut-off one lane of the road, and also threatening the other, while residential houses, industries are also at risk of caving into the huge gully created by the erosion.
The officials consisting of Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi; Commissioners for Works, Engr. Ifeanyi Okoma; Environment, Mr. Felix Odimegwu, and Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Aburime.
Ezeajughi lamented that there was urgent need to tackle the Onitsha-Owerri Road erosion, as movement of goods and persons will be stalled once the other part of the road caves in.
He lamented also that there were over 1,000 active erosion sites in Anambra state alone.
“We have over 1,000 active erosion sites in Anambra state. This is just one of them. We are acting on emergency.
“Because this Onitsha-Owerri road by Oba erosion wash-off is a major devastation, we are not waiting for the federal government, even though it is their responsibility.
“The people bearing the hardship are ndị Anambra, as such, Anambra State government has embarked on intervention to arrest the situation before other measures,” he said.
The commissioner for Works, Engr. Okoma said: “We are in talk with federal ministry works and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and they are already on it. But it will be a long process.
“We don’t have an option, we moved a contractor that will continue with the second objective, to stop further mudslides.”
The senator representing Anambra Central, Sen. Victor Umeh had last weekend visited the site and promised to notify the National Assembly on the development, with a view to attracting the attention of the federal government.
He also called for the declaration of emergency on erosion in the South East, saying that the menace of erosion was depleting the already small landmass of the zone.
