Reps to tackle erosion menace in Onitsha - Hon Idu
By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha
The House of Representatives has been informed of the menace of erosion at Nkisi Aroli and Obelagu communities by the member representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Emeka Idu.
Hon Idu informed the House through a paper he presented to the House during a one day public hearing, on the motion titled , "perennial gully erosion in Nkisi Aroli and Obele Agu communities of Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency, organized by the House committee on Environment.
According to him, "This gully erosion menace, a major problem faced by the communities mentioned above has remained pervassive and has brought about unimaginable destruction of lives and properties of Nigerians in the communities whose only sin is that they built houses and reside in the area that is being badly ravaged by erosion without any concrete solution-insight."
He lamented that several houses are threatened while some have collapsed thereby putting the inhabitants of the communities in grave danger as many have been displaced and rendered homeless, even as economic and commercial activities grounded, and ancestral homes arid graves wiped away.
"All previous palliative erosion control structures put in place have collapsed. These prompted me to bring the devastating effect of this erosion to the notice of this Honorable House on the 10 of October, 2023. It was subsequently referred to this honorable Committee for further action.
"I also went ahead to employ the services of Gorrion Engineering Limited who carried out feasibility studies of the above named areas and made the following available to me: The scope of work, site photograph, Engineering design, Bill of Engineering measurement and Evaluation, among others," he stated.
According to him all these documents could be made available to the Committee on request.
He commended the Chairman and members of this committee for this opportunity and sincerely solicited that they come to the aid of these affected Communities to avert this impending catastrophe.