Residents cry out as erosion sacks nine Anambra villages

Soludo

Residents of Ekwulobia community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State including a United States-based public health expert, Dr.Okwudili Ezeike, have raised the alarm over severe threats of gully erosion, ravaging their homes, critical infrastructure and means of livelihood.

They called on both the federal and state governments including global initiatives to address the menace

South-East Punch learnt that the erosion had washed away large portions of the community’s land while over 1,000 houses, farmlands remain on the danger list with some residents already displaced.

Speaking with journalists after conducting them round the erosion sites at the weekend, the US-based public health expert, Dr.OkwudiliEzeike, expressed deep concerns while speakingover the issue, callingon the United Nations and other critical international organisations to urgently intervene to salvage the Ekwulobia community from going extinct as a result of the ecological disaster.

Ezeike commended the state government for its interventions so far, but noted that the magnitude of the disaster exceeds what the state government alone can handle, as according to him, the menace has become a global concern that requires global attention.

He lamented that the situation has deteriorated due to recent torrential rainfall, which has further expanded the erosion sites and forcing families to flee to safer zones, adding that the menace has cost damages worth billions of naira and has also displaced uncountable numbers of farmers in the area.

While describing the erosion as not only an ecological issue, but also a public health and security threats, caused by climate change, he urged both the state and federal governments to partner with international bodies for both funding and technical expertise. Punch