President Goodluck Jonathan has been commended for his swift response to the plight of the two communities cut off by erosion in Auchi, Edo State by directing the Minister for Environment, Mr. John Odey to treat the situation as an emergency.
The Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole gave the commendation during the Minister’s visit to the Governor, yesterday.

According to Oshiomhole, President Jonathan has demonstrated that he is a man of action. “We visited the president in Abuja on Tuesday, where we told him of the erosion problems in the state, and yesterday, he directed the minister to take action. We are excited that he took us seriously by his quick intervention,” he noted.

Comrade Oshiomhole maintained that, “this is the kind of action that Nigerians want”.

He also disclosed that apart from the recent erosion problem that has cut off two communities at Auchi, erosion is also threatening a community at Queen Ede in Benin City, where a church building and a farmland have already been washed off.

Earlier, the Minister for Environment, Mr. John Odey said he was directed by Mr. President to inspect the portion of the road in Auchi where flood erosion cut off the two communities.

“President Goodluck Jonathan insisted we inspect it and treat the problem as an emergency”, he said, adding that the Ecological Fund office will embark on the project from the ecological fund account.

The Minister for Environment who travelled to the site with officers from the Ministry of Environment and the Ecological Fund office assured that the project will be treated as an emergency.