•Hon. Nwankwo  seeks urgent intervention

By Lekan Bilesanmi

 The House of Reps  is worried  that Anambra State is lagging behind in the erosion control programme of the Ecological Funds Office of the Federal Government. This observation was made by the House of Representatives Committee on Erosion and Habitat at the palace of Igwe Ralph Ekpe of Enugwu Ukwu, Njikoka council of Anambra State during its visit to Enuagu village, Enugwu-Ukwu  erosion sites.

The Chairman of the committee, Obinna Chidoka, said the tour enabled him to see the worst kinds of erosion sites in the state at Oko, Orumba North council of Anambra  where  former Vice President  Alex Ekwueme, personally took them round.

He said the committee members were  speechless when Ekwueme led the committee to the seemingly endless canyon created by erosion in his backyard and across the road in front of his country home at Oko.

The Anambra visit was sequel to a motion raised on the floor of the House by Hon Dozie Nwankwo, member representing Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Federal Constituency. So, Speaker Yakubu Dogara detailed the committee to visit for on-the-spot assessment that would enable them make far-reaching recommendations to the House for onward transmission to the Federal Government.

Chidoka acknowledged that the state was adversely affected by the environmental hazards, causing the people to live in constant fear of imminent dislocation and massive disenfranchisement due to almost daily land losses.

He assured that the committee, at the end of  the tour, would make  recommendations that would see the Federal Government act as a matter of urgency to handle the issues of gully erosion ravaging the state.

In his reaction to the visit, Nwankwo, whose country home is hanging on the edge of one of the widest site in Enugwu-Ukwu, said the effort was not just about him, but the entire village, constituency and state, having done so much to contain the menace before now, to no avail.