Senate Calls for Urgent FG Intervention in Flood- and Erosion-Hit Communities Following Umeh’s Motion

By Tony Okafor, Awka

The Senate has called for urgent Federal Government intervention in communities ravaged by flooding and gully erosion in Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and other states, following a motion moved by Senator Victor Umeh and two other lawmakers.

The resolution followed separate contributions by Umeh (NDC, Anambra Central), Senator Anthony Ani (APC, Ebonyi South) and Senator Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West), who drew attention to the destruction of homes, farmlands and infrastructure, loss of lives and displacement of residents in their constituencies.

The lawmakers urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials, including food, medical supplies and other essential items, to affected communities.

They also called on the Federal Ministries of Works and Environment to assess damaged roads, restore access routes and implement sustainable measures to control flooding and erosion.

Moving the motion on Anambra Central, Umeh said communities in Ogidi, Obosi and Awka South Local Government Area were facing severe environmental and humanitarian challenges arising from flooding and erosion.

He attributed the recurring disasters to heavy rainfall, which, he said, had destroyed homes, farmlands and infrastructure, disrupted economic activities and undermined residents’ livelihoods.

Umeh said at least four persons, including a pregnant woman and a six-year-old child, had reportedly died, while several families had been displaced.

He expressed further concern over expanding erosion gullies threatening residential areas and critical transport infrastructure, including sections of the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway.

Seconding the motion, Ani highlighted the devastating effects of flooding and erosion on communities in Ebonyi South, saying the disasters had destroyed homes, household valuables, crops and livestock, leaving residents vulnerable and worsening their economic hardship.

He urged NEMA to provide humanitarian assistance to affected communities and called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to assess agricultural losses and provide emergency support to affected farmers.

Ani also proposed that the Senate observe a minute’s silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the disasters.
Contributing, Izunaso said flooding and gully erosion continued to threaten communities across Imo West, recalling that he had presented a motion on the problem to the Senate in 2023.

He listed several affected communities and roads, noting that erosion had destroyed homes, businesses, farmlands and roads while creating dangerous conditions for motorists and pedestrians.

Izunaso urged NEMA, other relevant agencies and the Imo State Government to undertake emergency interventions, including the distribution of relief materials, drainage construction, road rehabilitation and erosion control.

He also called for a coordinated, long-term rehabilitation and ecological restoration programme for affected communities.

Adopting the prayers of the motion, the Senate mandated relevant ministries and agencies to assess the affected areas and implement appropriate emergency and long-term interventions.

It also called for ecological interventions in affected communities in Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and other states requiring assistance.

The Senate further mandated its committees on Environment, Works, Ecology and Climate Change, among others, to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas and report their findings within one month, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The lawmakers subsequently observed a minute’s silence in honour of those who died in the flooding.