Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The Anambra State Government has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations for their assistance in tackling some natural disasters bedeviling the state.
Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, made the appeal when he led the United Nations delegation to on-the-spot assessment of Oko erosion sites and the recent landslide which saw many buildings and economic trees cave-in some weeks ago.
He narrated the environmental challenges facing the state to the international body and appealed to the international community, Federal Government and indigenes of the area to do all they could to assist the state to mitigate environmental challenges threatening it, which according to him, are gully erosion, landslide and the recent flooding in parts of state.
He noted that a combination of factors, including but not limited to, climate change, human activities and natural causes are some of the identifiable factors responsible for the devastation.
The Deputy Governor warned that human activities like sand excavation, improper channeling of storm water would no longer be tolerated in the affected areas.
Anambra State Erosion, Watershed & Climate Change Agency Project Coordinator/MD, Prof. Philip Phil-Eze, raised the alarm about the landslide at Oko on Thursday, October 19, 2022, prompting the State Government to take proactive action, by visiting the site.
Later at Ogbaru, the Deputy Governor, while guiding the United Nations team led by its Residents Humanitarian Coordinator to Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, to holding centers for flood victims, farm lands and flood damaged culvert, explained that the Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, was touched by the sufferings of Ndi Anambra hence, he ordered for the assessment tour.
He assured that the Government, as part of post-flood rehabilitation exercise, would ensure that palliative measures were deployed to rehabilitate roads in the area, and proper resettlement of victims who will soon return to their homes as the flood recedes.
