How FG’s flood, erosion control projects saved Abia communities

As the rainy season sets in in the southern part of Nigeria, erosion continues to wreak havoc, disrupting agricultural, social and economic activities in many of the areas.  However, two communities in Abia State that once lived in constant fear of ecological disaster, can now rejoice following the completion of flood and erosion control projects […]

As the rainy season sets in in the southern part of Nigeria, erosion continues to wreak havoc, disrupting agricultural, social and economic activities in many of the areas.

 However, two communities in Abia State that once lived in constant fear of ecological disaster, can now rejoice following the completion of flood and erosion control projects by the Federal Government in the areas. 

Before the projects were completed, the Ikwuano Local Government communities farm produce such as yams, cassava, plantains, banana, and palm products hardly got to the urban areas, including the capital city, Umuahia, which is less than 10 kilometres away.

  This is because the LGA was usually devastated by erosion thereby cutting off communities from one another.

According to the residents, the devastation at erosion sites posed great risk to the people whenever they attempted crossing the affected roads on foot or motorcycle as four wheel vehicles are completely ruled out on such erosion devastated roads.

 “The road was so bad that there was no way of passing through,” the Prime Minister of Okwe Ukwu autonomous community, Chief Chikezie Awazie said.

He recalled that as the situation continued to worsen, the people of Obuohia approached their Okwe neighbouring neighbours to join hands with them and fill up the gully site.

 “But I advised them that it was beyond the capacity of the two communities and their effort would end up in futility,” Awazie recalled.

The most viable option to tackle the erosion menace was for the communities to intensify their appeal for federal intervention. 

 In another community, Amachara, in Umuahia South Local Government Area, the devastation done  by erosion was enormous; before Federal Government intervention, close to 10 hectares of farm lands had been lost to erosion .

 Some members of these communities who spoke differently with Daily Trust expressed their gratitude over the completed projects in their communities. 

 A former traditional Prime Minister, in Amachara, Chief Solomon Ikwunze, said: “We are very happy when the projects started; we gave them protection as a community.

“Before the intervention work, the destructive nature of the erosion was very bad on our farm lands and buildings because it was a very big valley until the Federal Government stepped in.”

 He lauded the Permanent Secretary of Ecological Fund Office (EFO), Mrs. Habiba Lawal, who once acted as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), for awarding the contracts which are among the 25 erosion projects approved by the EFO.  

   The vice-chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Arc Chris Nwosu, commended the contractor who handled  the Okpurudara Amachara erosion control project  for doing a thorough job.

 He said: “We have seen situations where after the contractor completed a project and went home the situation became worse, but for this particular project, we are happy.” 

 Chief Ernest Nwakanma of Okwe community said his people expected that the erosion control project in the community should last for upwards of 20 years after completion.  

 The vice-president of Okwe-Ukwu Development Union, Mr. Peter Ndubuwa, further expressed joy for a lasting solution to the erosion problem, noting that by this time last year, Okwe was cut off from the rest of Ikwuano communities.

 He expressed satisfaction over the quality of the job at Okwe erosion site, and that the Okwe-Obuohia road would be preserved.

 He also commended the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Sam Onuigbo, who facilitated the intervention of the Federal Government to save the erosion-prone communities in his constituency, saying, “the residents and farmers are rejoicing over the projects.”