Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Senator Emma Nwaka who represented Abia North in the Second Republic, has raised alarm that Amokwe Amiyi Community, in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, is under severe threat of gully erosion following the stoppage of a federal road project in the area by the Federal Government.
He regretted that the Chinese Company handling the reconstruction of Abia State University/Ahaba Imenyi Road, suddenly stopped work at the instance of the Federal Government, as a result of poor funding.
Nwaka who was a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abia State, expressed concern that abandoning the road after scrapping the asphalt on it had exposed it to erosion.
He lamented that houses in the erosion-prone community would be washed away by gully erosion if no urgent steps were taken to complete the road project any time soon.
“My community, Amokwe Amiyi, on the said Road has been exposed to erosion threats of unimaginable proportion,” Senator Nwaka lamented.
Continuing, he said: ” It is sad that the construction firm knowing that it was going to stop work due to poor funding went ahead to remove existing asphalt on that stretch and dug up the top soil thereby exposing the sub soil to the vagaries of weather in the heart of the rainy season.
“Amokwe Amiyi, which is my community, is sandy and erosion-prone naturally, what is more; it is on the slope of a hill.
“With the sub-soil now removed, flood speed whenever it rains is quite high thereby threatening people’s homes.
“If this trend continues unabated, the community stands the risk of being washed away. To make matters worse, the construction company abandoned the drainage system they are building half-way.”
He called on the Federal Government to quickly mobilise the contractor back to site to avoid the entire community being wiped out by erosion.
Senator Nwaka also called on the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Ogah, “to put pressure on the Federal Government to release funds to the Company handling the project as quickly as possible to save Amokwe Amiyi community, Oguduasa, Isuikwuato from being washed away.”
Erosion menace has been very pronounced in Abia North especially around Isuikwuato, Umunneochi and Bende areas.
