BENIN—EDO State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday in Benin appealled to the Federal Government to make funds available for the control of the Queen Ede Grammar School gully erosion in Ogbeson quarters of Benin-City, which has claimed five lives so far this year.

He specifically requested that funds be made available from the Ecological Fund to address the erosion menace.

He spoke while addressing some women, who staged a peaceful demonstration to Government House on the devastating nature of the erosion in the area.
The women, led by Mrs. Ihiehie Amen, said that following last weekend’s down pour, no fewer than 30 homes and three blocks of classrooms in the school caved in area collapsed.
They added that five people have so far died this year in the disaster.
The women added that following the caving in of the houses, majority of the people have abandoned their homes and are squatting with neigbours. Oshiomhole, in his response, said he had written Federal Government on the erosion menace in the area, adding that during a recent meeting of Edo indigenes with President Jonathan, he drew his attention to the erosion problem in the state, including that of Queen Ede Grammar School.

He recalled that shortly after the visit to the President, the Minister in charge of Environment, Mr. John Odeh, visited the state erosion sites to see things for himself.
Governor Oshiomhole however blamed the Federal Government for the Queen Ede Grammar School erosion problem and attributed it to the construction of the Benin- Agbor Road in the 1970s.
It would be recalled that during the construction of the road, sand was excavated from the area which in later years left a very deep gully erosion.

According to the governor, “I want to assure you that I will convey as broadly as I can your grievances, what you have suffered as a people and what you have suffered as a community, I will convey them to President Jonathan and then ask President Jonathan to re_consider and make fund available so that this avoidable problem which was caused through neglect by the Federal Ministry of Works”.