Before now, Nwezeweka-Awada-Obosi in Idemili North Local
Government Area, a highly populated residential area in the commercial
city of Onitsha, Anambra State, was the toast of many tenants.But not
any more as the town that slopes down and terminates into a very huge
burrow-pit apparently caused by a heavy landslide created by flooding is
now scary.
For the residents of the area, they are now sitting on a keg of gun powder following the devastating effects of erosion.
And to worsen their case, both the Anambra State and the Federal governments have done little or nothing to come to their rescue as the entire area is now at the verge of being swept away.
In the area, over 17 high-rise buildings fully occupied by people are facing imminent danger if nothing urgent is done to check the gully erosion, which has already swept away larger part of the community.
Oriental News gathered that this ugly situation prompted the Nwezeweka Landlords Association led by Mr Ebere Nwoye, Ejike Okata and Mrs Chinyere Ezekwueme to write a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter to the Anambra State government.
The association called on Governor Willie Obiano save them from the ecological disaster waiting to happen in their area, saying that if nothing urgent was done to stop the impending calamity their people would be wiped out.
Mr Nwoye disclosed that they have sunk over N6 million in controlling the erosion when it started newly, adding that lack of assistance from the state government has hampered their efforts in controlling the erosion, adding that it has now got out of hand.
He said that though the major cause of the erosion could largely be attributed to excavation of sand in the area by successive contracting firms handling the reconstruction of Onitsha-Owerri expressway, some of the residents of the area have also contributed to its escalation in one way or the other.
He accused some of the natives of Obosi of sabotaging the efforts of the landlords’ association in controlling the menace before it got to the dangerous stage, adding that some people who claimed to be real owners of the burrow-pit had accosted them and stopped them from controlling the erosion.
According to Nwoye, “after all attempts to gather the residents of the area to contribute money to tackle the gully erosion when it was still small failed, myself, Mr Okata and Mrs Chinyere Ezekueme taxed ourselves and contributed money until we were able to raise N6 million to tackle the erosion and reclaim the massive land.
“While we were trying to re-channel to a burrow-pit, some people who claimed to be owners of the burrow-pit stopped us half way which left us with no option than constructing drainage to link up with existing big drainage at Ezeiweka road, Onitsha.”
Another member of the Nwezeweka Landlords Association, Mr Ejike Okata lamented that despite the apparent danger staring residents of the area in the face by the erosion, some of them have refused to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse to block free flow of water through the drainage to Ezeiweka road.
He identified indiscriminate refuse disposal by some residents of the area as another cause of the erosion, noting that refuse had blocked the free flow of water through the proper channel to safer areas constructed by the state government.
“Indiscriminate refuse disposal by some residents of this area and burning of the resultant refuse at the burrow-pit have also been another source of concern to us and we have appealed to our people to desist from such act as it has been identified as another cause of the ecological disaster waiting to happen,” he said.
He called on the Anambra State government through the Ministry of Environment to immediately come to their rescue and help them control the erosion before they are completely swept away or buried alive by gully erosion.
Another member of the community, Mrs Chinyere Ezekwueme disclosed that since the N6 million they raised to tackle the erosion finished, they have not been able to convince other residents of the area on the need for self help while they wait for the government reaction to their letter.
“After spending the money we raised from among three of us, we could not get other people to help contribute money for us to tackle the erosion and that is why the gully is dangerously encroaching into the residential buildings and with the effect of the rainy season, I’m afraid that some of the affected buildings mainly five storey buildings fully occupied by residents may cave in and collapse,” she said.
She thanked Governor Obiano for clearing the Upper Iweka axis of hoodlums and urged him to look into their plight with a view to helping them reclaim their land from as well as protect them from the effects of the calamitous erosion.
And to worsen their case, both the Anambra State and the Federal governments have done little or nothing to come to their rescue as the entire area is now at the verge of being swept away.
In the area, over 17 high-rise buildings fully occupied by people are facing imminent danger if nothing urgent is done to check the gully erosion, which has already swept away larger part of the community.
Oriental News gathered that this ugly situation prompted the Nwezeweka Landlords Association led by Mr Ebere Nwoye, Ejike Okata and Mrs Chinyere Ezekwueme to write a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter to the Anambra State government.
The association called on Governor Willie Obiano save them from the ecological disaster waiting to happen in their area, saying that if nothing urgent was done to stop the impending calamity their people would be wiped out.
Mr Nwoye disclosed that they have sunk over N6 million in controlling the erosion when it started newly, adding that lack of assistance from the state government has hampered their efforts in controlling the erosion, adding that it has now got out of hand.
He said that though the major cause of the erosion could largely be attributed to excavation of sand in the area by successive contracting firms handling the reconstruction of Onitsha-Owerri expressway, some of the residents of the area have also contributed to its escalation in one way or the other.
He accused some of the natives of Obosi of sabotaging the efforts of the landlords’ association in controlling the menace before it got to the dangerous stage, adding that some people who claimed to be real owners of the burrow-pit had accosted them and stopped them from controlling the erosion.
According to Nwoye, “after all attempts to gather the residents of the area to contribute money to tackle the gully erosion when it was still small failed, myself, Mr Okata and Mrs Chinyere Ezekueme taxed ourselves and contributed money until we were able to raise N6 million to tackle the erosion and reclaim the massive land.
“While we were trying to re-channel to a burrow-pit, some people who claimed to be owners of the burrow-pit stopped us half way which left us with no option than constructing drainage to link up with existing big drainage at Ezeiweka road, Onitsha.”
Another member of the Nwezeweka Landlords Association, Mr Ejike Okata lamented that despite the apparent danger staring residents of the area in the face by the erosion, some of them have refused to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse to block free flow of water through the drainage to Ezeiweka road.
He identified indiscriminate refuse disposal by some residents of the area as another cause of the erosion, noting that refuse had blocked the free flow of water through the proper channel to safer areas constructed by the state government.
“Indiscriminate refuse disposal by some residents of this area and burning of the resultant refuse at the burrow-pit have also been another source of concern to us and we have appealed to our people to desist from such act as it has been identified as another cause of the ecological disaster waiting to happen,” he said.
He called on the Anambra State government through the Ministry of Environment to immediately come to their rescue and help them control the erosion before they are completely swept away or buried alive by gully erosion.
Another member of the community, Mrs Chinyere Ezekwueme disclosed that since the N6 million they raised to tackle the erosion finished, they have not been able to convince other residents of the area on the need for self help while they wait for the government reaction to their letter.
“After spending the money we raised from among three of us, we could not get other people to help contribute money for us to tackle the erosion and that is why the gully is dangerously encroaching into the residential buildings and with the effect of the rainy season, I’m afraid that some of the affected buildings mainly five storey buildings fully occupied by residents may cave in and collapse,” she said.
She thanked Governor Obiano for clearing the Upper Iweka axis of hoodlums and urged him to look into their plight with a view to helping them reclaim their land from as well as protect them from the effects of the calamitous erosion.
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