■ Community begs Gov Obiano
From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The entire Umuogbo Obiofia, Nnewichi community in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State is on the verge of being washed away by erosion that has been ravaging the area for over two decades now.
The communities in the affected area have, therefore, cried out to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, whom they said had attracted the attention of the World Bank to the menace, to mount pressure on the international body to ensure that the erosion site project is handled this dry season to avoid impending calamity during the next rainy season.
One of the leaders of the community, Mr. Innocent Obodoefuna, said that officials of the World Bank had visited the erosion site severally in the past without any concrete steps to fix the damage done to the land, adding that the community was optimistic that the project would be executed soon.
“More than 30 houses have already been swallowed up by the erosion since it started. Not only that, so many graves of our departed loved ones have continued to be washed away by the devastating erosion and over 15 lives have been lost since the problem started.
“Our farmlands, domestic animals, economic trees and cash crops are not spared by the ravaging erosion in our community, each time there is rainfall. We thank Governor Obiano for attracting the World Bank to our community to see things for themselves, even though there have been such visits sometime in the past. Our expectation is for action to be taken before it will get to the level that nothing can be done about it,” he said.
Another community leader, Elder Soge Egbuna, said the community seemed to be worried now because the rainy season was giving way for the dry season, which means that government would have no excuse not to listen to the lamentation of the community.
Egbuna said that he had spent his own money like other members of the community in order to control the erosion menace, all to no avail, saying that “we will not continue to tax ourselves since the problem has grown beyond our control.”