Senate urges action on gully erosion menace

Ravaging effects of gully erosion in parts of the country took the attention of senators yesterday.

They resolved to ask the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address the situation.

The Senate intervention was through a motion on “The menace of gully erosion in several communities of Abia North, especially in Isuikwuato local government communities of Uturu and Oguduasa” raised by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.

Ohuabunwa drew the attention to gully erosion ravaging the affected areas.

He told his colleagues that the affected communities are cut off from other parts of the state.

He said many houses and farmlands have been washed away by erosion.

The Abia North lawmaker noted that many more houses and farmlands might be destroyed unless urgent steps were taken to address the menace.

He said: “The affected communities have been facing serious menace of gully erosion partly due to increased rainfall that exacerbate flooding and which threaten the livelihood and entire existence of many communities.”

Ohuabunwa urged the Senate to ask the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the displaced persons in Uturu, Oguduasa, and other affected communities in Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende,  Isuikwuato,  and Umunneochi local government areas of Abia State.

Other senators who spoke lamented the devastating effects of gully erosion in their states.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa said special attention should be paid to erosion in coast line states.

The Senate also resolved to urge the Ministry of Works, Ecological Fund to urgently fund the immediate construction of a new rout that will link the affected communities with other surrounding states.

It said that NEMA should quickly intervene to rescue the situation and restore easy mobility in the interest of the affected areas.