By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Federal Government has moved to contain the worsening erosion threat along the Obosi Bypass in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, with emergency remedial works already under way at the affected corridor.
The intervention came shortly after the Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Dr Victor Umeh, called for urgent federal action to save Obosi and neighbouring Ogidi communities from the growing ecological crisis.
Umeh had, during an on-the-spot assessment of erosion sites in the area on August 15, called on the Federal Government, the Senate and the Anambra State Government to urgently intervene, warning that the scale of the devastation was beyond the capacity of the state government or individuals to handle.
He had specifically urged the Federal Government to declare the Idemili Basin an environmental disaster zone and said he would take the matter up with the Presidency, the National Assembly and relevant federal agencies.
Following the development, federal officials have commenced emergency remedial works along the Obosi Bypass, one of the strategic road corridors affected by the erosion threat.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Arc. Okey Ezeobi, disclosed this after joining officials of the Federal Ministry of Works on an inspection of the affected section.
Ezeobi said the inspection enabled the officials to assess the extent of the threat and monitor the intervention being undertaken to protect the road and other critical infrastructure along the corridor.
Heavy equipment and engineering personnel were seen at the site as work progressed to stabilise the affected section and prevent further damage.
The commissioner described the federal intervention as encouraging, saying the swift response demonstrated the importance of government listening to the concerns of residents and acting promptly whenever critical infrastructure was threatened.
He said protecting strategic road corridors was essential to sustaining movement, economic activities and the safety of road users, particularly because of the importance of the Obosi axis to traffic connecting Anambra with other parts of the South-East.
The intervention also comes against the backdrop of growing concern over the impact of erosion and flooding on communities in Idemili North, where roads, drainage channels, farmlands, buildings and other infrastructure have been affected.
During his August 15 assessment, Umeh had been confronted by the devastating situation at Ugamuma, Obosi, where expanding gullies had affected farmlands and roads, with some houses reportedly at risk.
Describing the situation as a “terrifying landslide” and a natural disaster, the senator said urgent action was required to prevent loss of lives and property.
“This is not something we should wait until lives are lost before we act. Government must intervene now to save these people, their homes, roads and farmlands,” Umeh had said.
He also commended Hon. Eric Anyamene, the NDC House of Representatives candidate for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, for drawing his attention to the crisis and deploying personal resources to undertake palliative measures.
Umeh said the scale of the required intervention was, however, beyond individual effort, estimating that the palliative works alone could cost more than N500 million.
The senator also raised concerns over the ecological threat to Ogidi, the hometown of the late acclaimed novelist, Prof Chinua Achebe, and urged the authorities to act before the communities suffered irreversible damage.
With the commencement of federal remedial works at the Obosi Bypass, attention is now focused on the effective execution of the intervention and the development of a permanent engineering solution to the recurring erosion menace.
The development has also underscored the need for sustained collaboration between the Federal and Anambra State governments in tackling erosion and other environmental threats to roads and public infrastructure across the state.
