Gully erosion in Abaji worsens

The perennial gully erosion threatening some houses within the metropolis of Abaji town has worsened hence heightening concern of residents especially those residing in Abattoir, Unguwar Wadata, New Extension, Gbakya and Abattoir New Extension areas in the area council. Though some relief came the way of Wadata residents with the intervention of the Ecological Fund […]

The perennial gully erosion threatening some houses within the metropolis of Abaji town has worsened hence heightening concern of residents especially those residing in Abattoir, Unguwar Wadata, New Extension, Gbakya and Abattoir New Extension areas in the area council.

Though some relief came the way of Wadata residents with the intervention of the Ecological Fund Office a few months ago, other affected locations are still prone to the erosion menace.

Some houses that are on the verge of collapse due to the increasing gully erosion at Unguwar Sarkin Pawa have continued to live in a state of rising concern.

Some of the affected residents who spoke with Aso Chronicle expressed concern over the gully erosion menace which, they said, has endangered their homes and livelihood for years.

Alhaji Musa Bashir, the Sarkin Pawa of Abaji, whose house was also affected, said the gully erosion has been threatening houses in the area since 2006, adding that the situation continued to worsen with each rainy season.

He said three houses built of mud blocks in the area had already collapsed as a result of the gully erosion; a situation which, he added has forced some of his neighbours to relocate.

“As you can see part of the fence of my house is affected after three houses belonging to my neighbours collapsed in the last rainy season. And in the next few months, we will be talking of the new rainy season and this has been giving us sleepless nights,” he said.

He explained that he spearheaded a meeting of elders in the area at which they again intimated the area council authorities of the gully erosion threat.

“I can recall that the present council chairman came here personally to see how the gully erosion was threatening houses around this area. Also, some staff from the Works Department were here,” he said.

He said the council chairman after the inspection in August 2018, had assured residents that the area council will write to the Ecological Funds Office under the Presidency on the need to come to the aid of the affected residents.

“But up till this moment that I am speaking with you, nothing has been done about the gully erosion. The last time I personally went to meet the chairman, he assured me that the area council had already written to the Ecological Funds Office but up till now we have not heard anything since again,” he said.

Alhaji Bashir, therefore, appealed to the FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, to come to the aid of residents of the area in controlling the gully erosion in the area.

“We saw the efforts of the FCT minister on how he made effort to ensure that the gully erosion in Wadata community was controlled by the Ecological Funds Office, and we are also appealing to him to assist us here at Anguwar Sarkin Pawa in Abaji,” he said.

Also speaking, a former Supervisory Councillor for Environment in the area, Ghalli Mohammed, whose house was also on the verge of collapse due to gully erosion, said he was forced to discontinue his building as a result of the gully erosion which he added was almost affecting his uncompleted four bedroom flat.

“And as you can see, I am forced to stop with the construction of my house since the gully erosion worsened, even though the present chairman came here to see things for himself,” he said.

He called on the council authorities to come to their aid before the erosion caused more damage to other houses in the area.

Reacting, the chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, said the council had since directed the Works Department to visit the gully erosion sites and record the devastation to be forwarded to the FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, for intervention.

“Apart from that, I personally went there to assess the gully erosion issue, while some officials from the Ecological Funds Office also came here and visited the place too, but we are yet to hear from them,” he said.

The chairman said the area council would meet with the FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, to remind him about the gully erosion menace.