Is NEWMAP really spending N3.9 Billion on some Anambra Erosion sites? What happened to N600 Million Resettlement action plan for communities?

www.odogwublog.com reports exclusively that erosion control is capital intensive and the Anambra State Government
does not have the financial muscle to face the problem head on.

        In that respect Anambra State, in conjunction with other States in the South-East Region approached the Federal Government of Nigeria who in turn sought the assistance of the World Bank in tackling the erosion.

 And that was granted and gave birth to Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP). NEWMAP is packaging erosion whereas there are issues in the ones they are already doing.

Federal Government had released 450 Million Dollars World Bank for erosion in South East region but surprisingly Edo state and Cross River. The two states were not in the initial presentation but because Engr Amos Abu the Country Director for World Bank is from Edo , he added Edo when the then Minister for Environment John Odeh added Cross River allegedly.

Five years after the projects were awarded the projects in Anambra everyday is said to still being designed yet several millions have been spent but that of Cross River and Edo states are allegedly progressing well and has gulped Billions.
Anambra projects have gulped about N700 Million even though it is a loan with one percent digit as negotiated by South-East Governors then led by Peter Obi.

The communities are accusing the Country Director of diverting some money meant for them as displacement benefits and the Anambra coordinator , Engr Ebi of giving contracts to those who did  not bid for the job and playing with their intelligence five years on without meaningful work done.

They  lamented that the World Bank was not happy that outsiders were doing contracts in Anambra against World Bank directive hence there was an alleged complaint from the Ministry of Environment to World bank of the sabotage resemblance. They wondered how contracts are selected and how they were awarded claiming that two consultants that bid and won to do work where shortchanged and contracts given to outsiders?

Chairman of Ezinano Youths comprising of 20 villages in Awka, Comrade Obi Ochije , who spoke on behalf of benefitting communities dismissed the claims of the NEWMAP querying where the monies they are claiming to have given to communities were disbursed or was it shared by the members of the NEWMAP with some selfish individuals parading to be representing the communities ravaged by erosion as they claimed?
Comrade Ochije who is also the Anambra state coordinator of Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM) insisted that there is no way N60 Million would be shared to communities ravaged by erosion and the traditional ruler of Awka Obi Gibson Nwosu would not be informed and himself in turn get to know and gave them mandate to bring the money meant for displaced communities by erosion or vomit it after swearing in.

‘’If the NEWMAP has diverted the money to private pockets they should look for it and bring because new administration is coming on Friday and all those who diverted money meant for public good will vomit the money. It is fraud and despite the vacuum in our President General , N60 million is not just a money NEWMAP will share to communities and nobody hears about it’’.

This reporter went in search of the Consultants to NEWMAP including Okey Oguejioffor who although did not want to volunteer much information said he was partially satisfied on how things are going in NEWMAP.

‘’Please I am in a meeting. I will call you back later’’ and to other questions posed about contracting and giving out of contract he answered he was partially satisfied as a contractor in the past and at present.

On his part , Mr Stanley who did not give his other name but a consultant to the NEWMAP refused to speak on phone with our reporter as at time of filling the report but admitted he bided for a contract which was given to people who did not bid but that it has been resolved and that he is doing a contract right now.
‘’…………………Yes, I am a consultant. How did you know about this? ……………………….Yes but it has been resolved and right now I am handling a contract for NEWMAP…………………I cant speak to you on phone further ……………….’’

Engr Ebi is the Project coordinator and efforts to reach him and that of the procurement officer Julius Igweilo proved abortive as they were not picking their calls although this reporter was reliably told Julius has been sacked but he reason for his sack was not given.

The Governor Willie Obiano is worried about the situation and has allegedly sacked the Commissioner for Environment and replaced him with a new man to unearth what actually transpierced that despite the billions and millions mentioned , there was nothing on ground or so to speak.

The communication officer Emma Ifesinachi, NEWMAP Anambra state could not pick his calls for more clarification on answers he already gave but his views are below.

    According to Communication Officer, NEWMAP Anambra state, Emmanuel Ifesinachi (JP), NEWMAP is a platform that handles erosion through multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches. It handles the cause and effect. NEWMAP is tailored to address the preventive aspect of this problem through public education and enlightenment programme as well as the cause through civil works/engineering designs.
    He claimed that under the NEWMAP in Anambra State, contracts for the control of four (4) erosion sites had been awarded in 2014 in the first phase of the Project when Governor peter Obi was holding the saddle.

And listed the erosion control project as- the St. Thomas Aquinas/Neros Plaza and the Amachalla erosion control projects are in Awka–South Local Government Area. Others are the Uruokpala – Umudunu, Abagana erosion project in Njikoka Local Government Area and the New Heritage erosion project, Omogba, Onitsha North Local Government Area.
    The four erosion project costs NEWMAP the sum of N1.5b of which the reputable indigenous contractors who were properly screened, selected and awarded the contracts had been mobilized. The contractors and their job delivery processed are being supervised by the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) with the help of Stop – Gap Supervision Team and the World Bank itself. The essence is to ensure that job delivered is standard and sustainable to meet the test of time.
    One unique thing about the erosion projects handle under the NEWMAP and supervised by the World Bank is the social and livelihood elements of the project which must be fulfilled before the civil works commences. The elements are imbedded in the resettlement action plan (RAP) which stipulates that all persons or groups the project would affect should be settled in the form of compensation paid to them to cushion the effect of the impact.
    On the RAP implementation exercise, the Anambra State NEWMAP had dispensed about N60m (Sixty million naira) to the project affected persons (PAPs) before the commence of work in the four erosion sites earlier mentioned.

More so, groups within the watershed still stand to benefit more if they can organize themselves as associations with common interest to solicit for grants which the World Bank would consider on their merit and grant such request. The aim is to alleviate poverty so that NEWMAP will leave the people and the area better than the project met them.
    The NEWMAP erosion projects are in their various stages of completion as the contractors were given 12 months within which to complete and deliver the project with the necessary combination of hard structural and vegetative ingredients.
    Based on the inroad and the understanding struck by the Anambra State Government and the World Bank under the NEWMAP haven paid the needful counterpart Fund of N500m (Five hundred Million Naira), the Anambra State NEWMAP is packaging another fifteen (15) erosion sites for processing and approval by the World Bank in the second phase of the NEWMAP programme in Anambra State.
    It is interesting to note that the mother gullies like Nanka, Ekwulobia and Agulu gullies are in the package. Addressing these mother gullies in Anambra State will be a big relief to both the Anambra State Government and the People of the State.


It is pertinent to know that Anambra State created on 27Th August, 1991 with a population of about 3.7m, has a land-area of 4,416 square kilometers. Its climate and vegetation status stand as tropical rain forest with 870 (mean) as its temperature.
Obviously, Anambra State will be considered as a State that is densely populated when the landmass is put alongside the population. This brings pressure and heavy consideration on land use management in the State.

However, the greatest problem of the State is that the scarce land resource is heavily eroded by a natural phenomenon called erosion. Erosion had become so common that some communities out of the 177 of them that make up the State have more than a fare share of the problem. Notable, amongst these communities are Nanka, Ekwuluobia, Oko, Obosi,Agulu, Umuchu, Osumenyi, Ukpor and Ezinifite to mention but few.

        Recent research has shown that the problem of erosion of the State will be blamed on two notable reasons. The first is that the land is so porous that it gives way on the slightest pressure. Secondly, the people attitude to the environment is so poor that it helps to worsen the already bad condition.
        The situation calls for environmental education and public enlightenment to teach and re-orientate the people on the best environmental practices that will guarantee the environmental security. The State Government had and will continue to dissipate resources in efforts to control and check the level of land degradation in the State. Currently, the State Government is working on 12 erosion control projects that is evenly spread across the State. The erosion sites which are in their various stages of completion is estimated to cost the State Government about N3.9b. Already the contractors handling the erosion projects had been mobilized at the tune of about  N1.5b.