NEWMAP: Chief C.C Onoh's house in danger as Erosion threaten Enugu communities, Ugwuanyi doles out N200m

Danger is presently looming at Enugu-Ngwo, the home town of the late statesman and founding father of Enugu State, Chief C.C Onoh, where a-four head gully erosion is about to make the community extinct.

Enugu-Ngwo is just one of such areas in the state, as the ones in Onuiyi-Nsukka, Ohom-Orba, Adukwu-Ebe, Umuavulu Abor in Udi, Imiliki-Etiti and Obollo-Afor in Udenu Local Government are equally as dangerous, requiring urgent attention.

The gullies in some areas manifest as landslides such as in the Udi-Ozalla road where the land was said to have shifted and motorists plying that route were cautioned to be careful.

The degradation has also posed threats to major highways such as the Enugu-Onitsha road where if urgent measure is not administered on them, the road would soon become a-no-go-area.

But the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, has reinvigorated fight against erosion gullies which are threatening to devastate most domestic and farm lands in state.

The war against erosion gullies in the state was reinforced with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s recent release of N200 million to tackle the menace, which if left undone, would in no distant time submerge communities and agricultural fields. Even though NEWMAP in the state had tackled the ecological challenge since its inception, the World Bank-assisted agency has since December 2017, moved with greater passion to remedy and prevent further occurrence of the natural disaster in the state.

Enugu State Coordinator of NEWMAP, Barrister Vincent Obetta on assuming office last year, commenced the process of sustaining the erosion control beyond 2021 when the programme would come to an end, and initiated for establishment of Enugu State Erosion and Watershed Agency, ESWAMA, to continue handling the menace thereafter. The idea was approved by the state Executive Council and at the moment, a bill that would go to the state House of Assembly is being perfected by the Attorney-General of the state for establishment of an act that will give legal backing to the agency. The agency which already has a steering committee is currently researching on centre for sustainable and clean energy development in the state. Apart from remedying degraded sites, NEWMAP in the state has reinvigorated the livelihood programme of the agency which takes care of compensation of the affected persons as contained in the components of the Project Implementation Manuel, PIM.

 Erosion sites already completed in the state which would be commissioned today (Wednesday) include the two pilot sites at 9th Mile (Amaeke Ngwo) gully erosion and the Ajali Water Works gully erosion.

The agency is also commissioning its new office complex, having left a rented apartment to an ultra modern complex with 35 rooms that will also house the ENSWAM in the offing.

NEWMAP state coordinator, Obetta, disclosed that he had requested the state Executive Council to declare the Onuiyi-Nsukka gully site a priority which the council approved, same as the Ohom-Orba erosion site. Obetta said: “After the commissioning, the deadly Enugu-Ngwo erosion site behind Chief C.C Onoh’s house would be tackled head on. This is one of the most deadly erosion sites in the world with four gully heads. Documents have been perfected on that and soon, the Resettlement Action Plan, RAP, will commence.