By Izunna Okafor, Nnewi

Erosion gully has wrecked another havoc in Anambra State, as it literally cut off a major inter-state road in the state.

The road which links Anambra State and Imo State through Amichi—Osumenyi—Ebenator—Ezinifite—Amaruru/Lilu had recently trended on the social media as the gully (popularly known as Ebenator Erosion Gully or Ibo Ebenator) initially caved-in a portion of it few months ago, following recurrent rainfalls.

The affected portion of the road, located off the Ebenator Junction (also know as the Amannalu Junction) in Nnewi South Local Government Area, and very close to Prof. Sam Uzochukwu's Residence, was finally cut off and divided into two by the gully this week.

The rural inter-state road was said to be the major access road to Ezinifite, the hometown of the current Commissioner for Environment in Anambra state, Engr. Felix Odimegwu.

It was gathered that the now-cut-off portion of the road had long been threatened by the Ebenator Erosion Gully, which is unarguably the deepest and most dangerous erosion gully in Anambra State and the south east at large.

The gully was also said to have also caved-in and destroyed many houses, economic trees and crops in the community, wasted many lives, and also recently started escalating to Ebenator Central School, without any government's intervention coming forth.

The affected portion of the road was said to be the foundational ‘head’ of the Gully and major gateway or channel through which floods from other neighbouring communities, especially Osumenyi, flow into the Ofara River through the gully, because of the slopy topography of the terrain.

Earlier speaking on the situation, the President-General of Ebenator Community, Dr. Anthony Okechukwu described the erosion menace in the community as a very terrible one, which has troubled the community for decades.

He highlighted some of the self-help efforts of the community leadership to ameliorate the situation, which only were a minor and insignificant scratch on it, owing to its huge size and depth.

He further enumerated some of the steps his administration had taken in the past to draw government's attention to the situation earlier before now, including writing letters to the then Governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano and the then Commissioner for Works, Engr. Marcel Ifejiofor, which never received any response nor yielded the expected result, till the expiration of that administration.

The PG also noted that he and his team had recently visited and discussed the situation with the current Commissioner for Environment in the state, Engr. Omus, in his office in Awka, but did not see any action or intervention as promised, till this eventual partitioning of the road by the gully, which, he noted, has not only rendered the road useless now, but has also exposed the denizens and road users to a very huge risk, especially those who might not be aware of the truncation.

He reiterated his call on the state's Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Odimegwu, to urgently wade into the situation and the menace of erosion gully ravaging the community.

“This situation has gone beyond community self-help efforts. We urgently need state and federal governments' intervention,” Dr. Okechukwu added.

All efforts to get the reactions of the state's Environment Commissioner, Engr. Odimegwu on the situation, proved abortive, as he did not pick his calls or respond to his messages as at the time of this publication.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner had, in a recent interview with this reporter (earlier before the eventual break-up of the road) revealed that he had prompted the Commissioner for Works for his urgent intervention on the road, the processes of which, he said, had already been initiated as at the time of that communication.

Them go come blame Tinubu

Now he'll need a chopper to get to his house

Anambra is the headquarters of gully erosion in Africa. What a cursed state

If the government had acted fast, it wouldn't have gotten to this stage.

You should be more concerned that a village in ANAMBRA is well tarred. Not
NDDC o.... Nice one anambra. Erosion is a natural disaster.

mcmurphy132:
Them go come blame Tinubu

That's a poor road construction.....dey will still blame tinubu

Smithkafors:
You should be more concerned that a village in ANAMBRA is well tarred. Not
NDDC o.... Nice one anambra. Erosion is a natural disaster.

That road leads to a village and there's no tarred road in d whole of that village, u r not ashamed that an high way leading to villages looks so deserted......all ur ppl don run come their obodo oyinbo for SW

Money that was allocated for this environmental disaster was pocketed by Tinubu using the muscle of MC Oluomo.

Smithkafors:
You should be more concerned that a village in ANAMBRA is well tarred. Not
NDDC o.... Nice one anambra. Erosion is a natural disaster.

It's because Lagos is developed that you don't know that Somolu is someone's village.

What exactly is even the major cause of these erosion that is ravaging the south east?

JOemmy:
What exactly is even the major cause of these erosion that is ravaging the south east?

Wickedness.

JOemmy:
What exactly is even the major cause of these erosion that is ravaging the south east?

its encircled by rivers around it, with low bed

JOemmy:
What exactly is even the major cause of these erosion that is ravaging the south east?

deforestation.

If not for the sakamori/ Nwangene and other projects Peter did in collaboration with world bank who knows the level of devastation erosion could have done. Sadly none of the People before and after him have addressed this issue of channeling erosion away from damage .Erosion is no joke. I have seen one that created a gully more than 50 feet deep

And PETER OBI was once governor of anambra state for 8years

mcmurphy132:
Them go come blame Tinubu

it is a small natural disasters,just like u are making joke of Japan having earthquakes

So foolish Igbo know you install lunatics as governor then turn around to blame Tinubu for your miserable wretched lives

3ple9iner:
If the government had acted fast, it wouldn't have gotten to this stage.

yyba:
And PETER OBI was once governor of anambra state for 8years

He is still the governor I guess ??

You lots need to stop comparing Anambra and Lagos together. Lagos is the richest state in Nigeria compared to Anambra.

There are many of these road waiting for the right time to collapse due to the ineptitude of the environment ministry/ government.
It all started small before deteriorating.

VladimirPutiin:


He is still the governor I guess ??

You lots need to stop comparing Anambra and Lagos together. Lagos is the richest state in Nigeria compared to Anambra.

Why can't Anambra be second?

Them betweens Bring blame politicians

rusher14:


Why can't Anambra be second?

What are the resources deposited in -
Anambra compared to oil producing states like Delta, Akwa ibom and rivers state. Why can’t you say Osun or Zamfara should come second to Lagos that was a former capital, houses multinational companies for many years now. Has the major sea ports and airport. Una suppose reason some matter clearly.

VladimirPutiin:


What are the resources deposited in -
Anambra compared to oil producing states like Delta, Akwa ibom and rivers state. Why can’t you say Osun or Zamfara should come second to Lagos that was a former capital, houses multinational companies for many years now. Has the major sea ports and airport. Una suppose reason some matter clearly.

Story.

Shey you guys are always claiming Botswana and Rwanda are the best thing since sliced bread.

rusher14:


Story.

Shey you guys are always claiming Botswana and Rwanda are the best thing since sliced bread.

Can you compare the leaders of those countries to what we have here ?

You want to compare Paul Kegame to Buhari ??

VladimirPutiin:


Can you compare the leaders of those countries to what we have here ?

You want to compare Paul Kegame to Buhari ??

To Peter Obi.

Stay on the subject.

rusher14:


To Peter Obi.

Stay on the subject.

Peter Obi ruled Nigeria before ?

You went out of the project by mentioning well doing countries and I’m mentioned your President. Even Oshiomhole was absolving Tinubu from Buhari failures just recently on Arise TV lol

VladimirPutiin:



Peter Obi ruled Nigeria before ?

You went out of the project by mentioning well doing countries and I’m mentioned your President. Even Oshiomhole was absolving Tinubu from Buhari failures just recently on Arise TV lol

Who do we absolve for Anambra's failures?

BATstards will start calling Peter Obi even though he left office over 9 years ago.

This is on Obiano and Soludo.

They had enough time to swing to action but failed to do that.

rusher14:


Who do we absolve for Anambra's failures?

Anambra’s failures?

By what parameter are you calling Anambra a failure?

If Anambra is a failure, what will you call Ogun and Osun states?

Penguin2:


Anambra’s failures?

By what parameter are you calling Anambra a failure?

If Anambra is a failure, what will you call Ogun and Osun states?

You see now?

What makes Anambrians leave their domain in droves?