By Emeka Aginam

Oko community in Orumba North local government area of Anambra State has renewed appeal to both the State and the Federal Government for more proactive measures to control Oko-Nanka  erosion sites in the State.

The chairman of Ezioko village, Oko, Men’s meeting in Lagos , Mr. Chukwuneke Okafor who made the appeal yesterday in Lagos while addressing newsmen said that immediate intervention was needed to save the community from further devastation.

Although the Anambra State Government has been in the vanguard to fight the erosion menace in the state by working in conjunction with the World Bank Project called NEWMAP, Okafor noted that Oko-Nanka-Ekwulobia erosion menace should be given priority attention.

Despite the work being done, Okafor said that the government needed to allocate more resources to Anambra in order to contain the greatest number of erosion sites, especially, Oko/Nanka erosion menace.

He expressed worry that many houses will  again, be affected by the gully erosion this rainy season, adding that, unless something urgent was done, the erosion menace will continue to ravage the communities.

He said that already, the erosion menace has claimed many houses, farmland and cut off major access roads in Oko.

Meanwhile, four sites including Ugamuma, Obosi, Ikenga Ogidi, . Enugwu-Ukwu and Abidi, Umuoji have already been approved for funding by the World Bank and currently undergoing procurement process.

According to the current Anambra erosion schedule, Nnewi-Ichi, Nnewi, Ire, Obosi, Nkpor Bridge and Ojoto should be ready for approval by late June this year.