Calling For Urgent Attention

The ravaging effect of erosion and landslide attracts the attention of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, a non-governmental organization

By George Emine

Until his resignation two weeks ago, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, former commissioner for environment in Anambra State, like his governor, Mr. Peter Obi, was growing grey hairs over the ravaging effect of erosion in the state. His quest to tackle the problem led him to introduce a number of measures. These include the Environment Volunteer Corps, EVC, which is made up of volunteers and students drawn from the 21 local government areas of the state. The duty of the corps members, according to the former commissioner, is to maintain environmental cleanliness including opening up of blocked water ways and drainages. Okwenna also said his ministry carried out the dredging and sweeping of Nwangene/Otumoye creek in Onitsha as well as construction of flood and erosion control projects in some erosion prone areas. But all these seem like a drop in the ocean.

Anambra State is said to have over 600 active erosion sites, the highest so far in the country. Some of them like the Agulu/Nanka gully erosion have even become tourist attractions and at the same time, nightmare for the natives. Earlier, the Nanka erosion caused so much damage when a midnight landslide occurred in the area. Over 300 families are at present, cut off from the rest of the community. But the area is only one of the many communities that have been ravaged by gully erosion in the south eastern part of the country over the years which has also resulted in the loss of lives and property worth millions of naira. Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, a non-governmental organisation fighting the cause of the neglected and people denied of their human rights has joined the crusade for the control of this threatening menace.

Last week, the body host Okwenna to its maiden 'Hot Seat,' a monthly interactive session with prominent Nigerians. Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA equates the erosion in the zone with environmental degradation in oil producing communities of the Niger Delta, arguing that the federal government has not “sufficiently appreciated the devastating consequences of this grave danger” to greater percentage of the Nigerian populace. “The federal government ought to tackle the erosion menace in the south east Nigeria with the same speed it is tackling the problems of underdevelopment in the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta before we wake up and discover that the entire South East Nigeria has been cut off from the rest of the geographical entity called Nigeria or before some restive youths in the South East form themselves into armed militants to agitate for the immediate remedial action to be adopted in tackling this man-made cum natural disaster called erosion,” Onwubiko added.

True to his assertion, the federal government seemed to be paying lip service to erosion control in the country. Okenna said that out of N17 billion intervention fund required to tackle 62 erosion sites in Anambra State, only N864 million was released to the state by the federal government in the last two years. This, according to him, made the state government to concentrate only on just 21 of the 62 erosion sites earmarked for immediate intervention. He stressed that the issue has gone beyond the strength of the state governments, and that federal government intervention along with international donor agencies are the only ones with the financial capability to address the disaster.

Senator Annie Okonkwo, representing Anambra Central senatorial district in the National Assembly said he had concluded plans to launch a N100 billion Anambra Erosion Foundation targeted at bringing in international experts to help provide long and short-term measures to the erosion problem. Senator Okonkwo who is deputy chairman, senate committee on ecology had, while on visit to the erosion site earlier in the month, appealed to the Nigerian government, the United Nations and other international donor agencies to assist victims of the recent Nanka erosion and landslide disaster.

Governor Peter Obi however, called for the establishment of a federal agency to handle the landslides that intermittently wash away homesteads, farmlands, major roads and claim lives. Citing the setting up of the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Obi had said he saw no reason why a disaster like erosion should not deserve a high-powered commission. He said it was amazing that the Federal Government, which was spending billions on environmental disasters in other parts of the country, does not find it fit to approach the Anambra erosion crisis with similar gusto. The traditional ruler of Nanka, Gilbert Ofomata, has also appealed to the federal and state governments to intervene so that the already very destructive condition does not get worse.

A hydro-geologist, Professor Boniface Egboka, who is also acting vice chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, warned that Anambra State stands the risk of being washed away by erosion in 20 years if nothing is done urgently.

There are however, allegations that money budgeted for ecological problems are being diverted to some other pecuniary needs. Senator Grace Bent, chairman, senate committee on environment, accused state government officials of spending the federal ecological funds in entertaining their girlfriends and cronies. Onwubiko however, called on anti-corruption agencies to prosecute those indicted of diverting ecological funds meant for tackling ecological problems.