Why Abia’s 2,000 gullies will soon become 10,000
If it were possible, the state could conveniently donate 3 sites to each state of the federation and Abuja, and still have gigantic sites left at home to generate a major ecological headache. The neighbouring Anambra state has 1001 gully erosion sites. Engineer Charles Ojukwu, the Abia Commissioner for Environment confirms the figure, and he […]
If it were possible, the state could conveniently donate 3 sites to each state of the federation and Abuja, and still have gigantic sites left at home to generate a major ecological headache. The neighbouring Anambra state has 1001 gully erosion sites. Engineer Charles Ojukwu, the Abia Commissioner for Environment confirms the figure, and he must know what he is talking about. His words ‘There are over 2,000 gully erosion sites in Abia state alone. Unfortunately, not much has been done to save the environment, as far as Abia state is concerned. The state government has been burdened with the problem of how to tackle the erosion problem. Most of the villages have been practically washed away. ‘He posits ‘Abia state should be declared a disaster area.’
If there are some forty houses containing ten persons each, by every one of the 2,000 sites, then the number of persons threatened by the gullies is quite staggering. Also there are some 101 major erosion spots in the state .The estimated cost for resolving these, as calculated by the ministry of Environment, runs into millions or even trillions of Naira. Not up to two percent of the erosion sites in the state, are presently being attended to or tackled by the government. Charles Ojukwu also says that the state government ‘can handle erosion projects with a price tag being under 60 million naira. Anything above 60 million is above the capacity of the state.’ Most of the 101 sites mentioned above have estimated costs in the range of 5 billion (Oruruala Oguduasa gully), 350m (Ibii Gully)1 billion (Mbom Amuzukwu gully), 625m (Obinto Ihechiowa gully), 750m (Umuopara oil Market), 900m (Iberenta Gully), 460m (Ugwu rubber gully) etc. It is clear then that the state government can hardly rise to tackle this looming emergency. Charles Ojukwu says that the state government is handling just some 16-20 of the minor gullies at present.
‘Bureaucratic forest’
He also comments on the Ecological fund which has been mired in controversy. His words: ‘Since the inception of the Ecological fund office, a total of 199 billion naira has been released to the office to tackle ecological, desertification and deforestation issues. This stopped two years ago, and the Commissioner explains this by saying that it owed to ‘problems associated with the disbursement of monies from the fund. But in Abia there is no record that anything has been disbursed to us here’. In Anambra State, the immediate past Commissioner for Environment, Mike Egbobuike says that the state has not received any monies from the Ecological Fund in the past one year. Anambra is an APGA state. Abia is PPA. There are hints that Edo state which is AC, has not received monies from the ecological fund too in the past two years. Sources close to Government House, Benin say that at a point the federal government asked Edo state to consider counterpart funding in tackling the erosion challenge. The state, noticing that PDP controlled states were not asked to consider counterpart funding, turned down the offer. Last year, the Governor of Borno state had cause to complain about the non receipt of the ecological fund by his state, which is ANPP. However a recent report in a news magazine indicates that Imo state, which is PDP, received 12b as ecological funds this year. A pattern seems to be forming: If your state is with PDP you are bound to smile. If you are non PDP, you are truly on your own on ecological matters. When this reporter went to the Revenue Commission to cross check recent allocations from the ecological fund to the states, the Director, Allocations was said to have travelled. It was mentioned that the records available only relate to the Excess Crude Account allocations for all the states.
Charles Ojukwu goes on to say that at a retreat for Senators in the South East, there was universal condemnation of the ecological fund. According to him ‘For the past two years no monies from the ecological fund have been released. So Abia has only been able to do its best to contain the minor erosion sites, given the resources available’. He adds that the Ecological fund office is encircled by a stunning and frustrating bureaucracy. His words ‘The bureaucracy in the Ecological Fund office is stunning. You do not know who to deal with. The bureaucracy is frightening. It is like a forest.’ He adds that sometimes the state government knows nothing about contracts awarded in Abia, implying that the state government is not taken along when the Ecological fund gives out a contract. The Ecological Fund was not forthcoming with information when Weekly Trust visited on March 29. This is despite phone calls and text messages earlier sent by the reporter, and an invitation by the Fund.
‘Managed in secrecy’
A usually reliable source, who knows a lot about the inner workings of the Ecological Fund, as well as the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), tells Weekly Trust that the Ecological Fund is ‘managed in secrecy in the presidency. The allocation is always at the discretion of the President’. If the president smiles upon a state, or looks favorably upon a Governor, then such state receives monies from the ecological fund. But these funds are not always used to tackle ecological problems. Sometimes they are, he accepts. He argues that a state government which is not in the good books of the ruling party may suffer under this situation. He also explains what a state may do in a situation where it is not part of the ruling party, and requires funds urgently. His words ‘In some cases a state can make a concrete case for the release of funds, if it is not a member of the ruling party. Sometimes it works.’ On the balance, he says that states which don’t belong to the ruling party, that is the PDP, tend to suffer when they apply for much needed Ecological funds. His words ‘That’s the reality. The Federal Government which has the Ecological Fund under its custody, determines who gets it, and the ruling party is the PDP.’
At a recent retreat for Senators, David Mark, the Senate President observed that some of the directors of relevant government agencies only sit down in Abuja, and award contracts without visiting the erosion sites. He stated that this is done without the Governors of the states being consulted. ‘Such sharp practices were responsible for the large number of erosion sites in the south east’.
Abubakar Umar Kari of the Department of Sociology, University of Abuja, speaks on the fact of political party affiliation, and the release of the Ecological Fund. His words ‘These ecological problems don’t have party colours. The problem in Imo is not more urgent than that in Anambra, to justify why the fund for Imo is released, and that of Anambra withheld. This is a classic case of how not to play politics’. He explained that the initial purpose of the fund was for it to ‘serve as an intervention fund to solve glaring ecological problems, but it has become a drainpipe. Those entrusted with the fund use it to feather their nests.’ He is alarmed that ‘the grave and glaring ecological problems around the country have persisted, and are even getting worse. This fact shows that the fund has become a problem, rather than a solution to the grave ecological challenges of the present time’.
Adamu Idris Tanko of the Department of Geography, Bayero University Kano, sees the Ecological Fund as an ‘open cheque’ where people extract money without due process, and use such monies without proper accountability’. He says this amounts to a dramatic reversal of roles, because the ‘fund was set up primarily to assist the various state governments in attending to environmental challenges’. According to him when states actually receive these monies, they often proceed to divert the fund to other projects. He says accountability and transparency at both the ecological fund, as well as at the state level, will play a powerful role in tackling environmental challenges. Sani Mashi of the Department of Geography, University of Abuja, says that a percentage of national earnings is saved and deposited in the Ecological Fund, which is now used to intervene in environmental problems across the country. A recent report indicates ‘The federal government sets apart 2 percent of the annual federal budgets as ecological fund for the 36 states of the federation.’ Sani Mashi adds that most states are not ready when the funds are released. This is because ‘Sound scientific and theoretical base for making the request is not there.’ Sometimes, the fund is misused on this account, he states. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director, CISLAC, adds that an active citizenry and media can play a memorable role in bringing about transparent use of the funds resources, as well as nurture a vibrant critical population, which, today, has practically died. His words ‘The ecological fund has been turned into a kind of security vote, because of a lack of voices in society which should regularly demand accountability. The fund has been hijacked by politicians. It is now used for political activism. We need a vibrant citizenship that will demand for accountability from public officials. An active media, operating in the true spirit of investigative journalism, can rise to initiate change and save the environment from continuing collapse’.
Before the Ivory Tower is swept away
The Abia State University, Uturu sits right in the middle of the erosion belt in the state. Already erosion is threatening parts of the University, and Professor Mkpa Agu Mkpa, the agile Vice- Chancellor, an educationist whose area of specialization is Curriculum Development, has mobilized the community to be more environmentally conscious. Or else the University will vanish before their very eyes. New environmental policies have been introduced, and both staff and students have been encouraged to follow these simple but beneficial rules: walk on the pavements, rather than the lawns. Note the barricades. Grow plants. Create parking lots, for even car tyres aid erosion over time. According to the Vice Chancellor ‘One discovered upon assumption of office that cars were parked indiscriminately, and the tyres of cars will normally create potential erosion sites, given the soft nature of the soil. We felt that if we created parking spaces in front of the major buildings, this would also help to check the erosion menace’. The entire campus is being moulded to be more environmentally friendly. From time to time the University organises talks in neighbouring communities which are threatened by erosion. Speaking on the challenge of erosion at his University, Professor Mkpa Mkpa says ‘When students do not have walkways, and they criss cross the lawns, the soft terrain, there is the threat of erosion. He speaks on the unchecked construction of buildings ‘If a building would take a thousand square metres, the builders often cleared 5,000 square metres ,and left a whole lot of ground bare, which made erosion possible’.
People flee as the gullies grow:
Governor Theodore Orji of Abia state says gully erosion has claimed lives in all the 17 local governments of the state. At Amuzoro –Ibeku, the story is a sad one. Love Oleka says ‘Life here is frightening. A lot of people have been sacked by the gully and they are now refugees in their own land. This is the worst form of migration. With the rainy season approaching, I am sure I will lose my house to the gully.’ She adds that last year four houses were lost to the gully in the rainy season. She thinks more will go this year. Ubalaka Cattle market is the site of another massive gully. Joshua Ochiabuto is a trader at the market. He says that the gully has since taken part of the market. He points into the distance, showing that the length of the gully in a straight line from where he stands, was once part of the flourishing market. He adds that more than 50 shops have been lost to the gully, and that the losses total some 2 million naira. The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) is doing some reclamation work at one of the gullies in Abia state. This is the gully at Bende. Engineer George Bechara works with KCCL, the company which is about to start work at the Bende site ,where gully erosion is threatening the Bende -Arochukwu Federal Highway , and challenging a neighbouring massive residence. According to Bechara, in six weeks the work there will be concluded. There are a total of three erosion sites in Bende alone, which are being tackled by the federal government. The Ugweke-Alayi road, which lies further on, has practically been split in two. According to the locals it has taken just two years for the gully to widen and effectively split the road, making the area to look quite ugly, the massive hole hindering the movement of trailers.
At Amokwe Amiyi, there is a gully erosion site which has seen some reclamation work. But a local says the work has not been properly done and shows Weekly Trust several holes which have developed within the stone pinching work, which has been done, to support a shoulder of earth at the site. He says that the contractor should be brought back to attend to the holes that have recently formed. According to him before the reclamation work started, the gully had effectively split the road in two. He added that at that time people hardly slept as they worried over whether they would have to leave their ancestral home. The Isuikwuato-Uturu road has since been split into two as a result of gully erosion. So a diversion has been created to assist travelers to connect with other parts of the state. But the diversion itself is under threat as the road seems to be sinking. The nearby Oruruala erosion site has split a road into two. Work is going on there as the site is being sand filled. The Evangel Primary School sits within the very jaws of the gully. Pupils of the school can easily take time off during classes to view the sandfilling taking place within the gully. It seems that after the sandfilling is done, then efforts will be intensified to link the two points of the split road. The people will now regain their road which was once lost.
Create a gully to tackle a gully
There is a nearby site from which sand is taken to fill the gully presently being tackled at Oruruala .Already, a large hole has formed there. In a little while it is likely to become another erosion site. In other words, a gully is being created, just as another is being tackled. Charles Ojukwu agrees that there is a paradox in this, and says something is being done about it. If a gully is created with every attempt at tackling an old site, it means that the whole effort increases, rather than reduces the number of gullies in the state. This is akin to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, which is about a man rolling a stone to the top of the hill. When he reaches the summit, the stone rolls downhill. He has to begin his task all over again. This is not only a metaphor of the gully erosion menace in the entire south east, but also a splendid mirror of Nigeria, which is still crawling in its 50th year .