Gully erosion submerges 15 houses, farmlands In Anambra community

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Ekwulumili erosion site

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By Madu Obi

Severe gully erosion has swept away 15 houses and some farmlands In Ekwulumili community in Nnewi South local government area of Anambra State, with the affected people calling on the state government to save them from further devastation.

According to the people, the erosion has also cut off some major roads in the area, thereby threatening their existence and livelihood.

One of the gully erosion sites is about 50 metres away from the Oba-Nnewi-Uga-Okigwe expressway, which is a strategic route for travelers.

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They lamented that in spite of their cry for over 30 years since the erosion became massive, the state government was yet to intervene.

In the interim, the community said it had combated some of the sites with concrete work and tree planting, lamenting, however, that the menace has continued to expand, especially during the rains every year.

A stakeholder in the community, Mr Chinedu Anyaso said that because of the erosion, many families have been forced to flee their ancestral lands.

Anyaso, who is the chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Enugu Depot, listed the most affected villages as Umudim, Urueze and Isigwu, adding that the gully erosion was caused by floods that came from Igboukwu, Oraeri and other upland communities, as well as increased human activities.

He said the road linking the community to Amichi through Ugwuochi had been cut off by the gully erosion there by reducing the access of the people to social and economic activities.

“We are losing our community to gully erosion and about 15 houses have been lost to this gully. Families have been displaced, countless number of economic trees and large areas of farm lands have been washed off and the federal road that passed through here is about being cut off.

We are calling on Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to declare a state of emergency on Ekwulumili gully erosion. We are also calling on the Federal Government and international community to intervene.

As a people, we have carried out control and remedial measures like planting of trees, construction of drainage and creation of catchment pits to reduce the impact, but we are facing flood from about four communities from the upland flowing into our community."

Also speaking, Chief Clement Ezeifedikwa, a former President General of the community said government officials had visited the various sites a number of times and gave assurances, adding that nothing had been done to mitigate the disaster or assist the people.