Sufuyan Ojeifo
12 November 2009
Enugu — South-east governors were yesterday unanimous in their call on the Federal Government to declare the zone as an emergency for erosion intervention measures.
The governors of the five states in the zone who spoke at the second day of the Senate retreat in Enugu, specifically proposed massive forestation projects in the zone to provide for sustainable land as well as comprehensive water channelization master plan to cater for future channelization.
In addition, they called for massive infrastructure development of the area, construction of roads, control of floods and assistance for displaced communities.
They asked the Senate to ensure that budgetary provisions are made forthwith, especially in the 2010 federal budget, to enable government provide the remedial projects.
In his presentation, Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime said gully erosion had devastated a good percentage of the population, stressing, "The Southeast is perching precariously on the mercy of gully erosion."
He added, "Individual governments in the zone have taken many bold steps to prevent it but our dwindling finances could not match the enormous funds needed to fight the menace."
Chime told the Senate-in retreat that no fewer than 317 erosion sites had been identified in Enugu for urgent and sustainable intervention.
His Anambra State counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi noted that the southeast zone had already been declared a disaster zone, but lamented that nothing concrete had so far been done to mitigate the creeping disaster.
Obi shocked the Senate when he claimed that the Federal Government had awarded contracts for 16 non-existing erosion sites in the state.
He stated that "villages are being washed away while lives are being lost due to the menace of erosion. The entire water system in Onitsha has also been washed away leading to scarcity of water in the area."
Imo State Governor, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim underscored the imperative of a focused national attention on the erosion problem in the zone, insisting that "the trend must not be allowed to impoverish our people."
Ohakim announced that 460 erosion sites had been identified in the state and that the state government had awarded contracts for 11 sites.
He said the government had planted one million trees as a temporary measure to address the lingering problem.
Abia State Governor, Mr. Theodore Orji, lamented that lives had been lost in all the local governments in the state on account of the gully erosion menace.
Orji, who was represented by his Deputy Governor, Chief Chris Akomas, said, "The Senate should do something very fast to save the state from the impending disaster which will attract global attention when it happens."
The Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. Martin Elechi, did not attend the session neither did he send a representation, but one of the syndicate groups led by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, will today visit the state to assess agriculture facilities in the state.
Other syndicate groups are billed to visit the Aba IPP and other industrial projects; erosion sites in Imo State and Nnewi auto-industrial projects and erosion sites in Anambra State.
Senate President, Senator David Mark will lead the group to Aba, Abia State while the Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Kanti Bello will lead the groups to Imo and Anambra States respectively.
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