The Senate on Wednesday called for urgent intervention by relevant federal agencies to check the menace of erosion in the South-East and coastal states of the federation.
The call came in a resolution following a motion sponsored by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa on the menace of gully erosion in several communities of his constituency.
The lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Environment to designate the South-East as a “special agro-ecological zone” requiring special intervention in agriculture and other relevant development activities.
The motion was titled: “The Menace of Gully Erosion in Several Communities of Abia North, Especially in Isuikwuato Local Government Area Communities of Uturu and Oguduasaa”.
In it, Ohuabunwa said five communities in Abia North had been experiencing “serious gully erosion” problem in recent times.
He identified the communities as Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende, Isuikwuato and Umunneochi.
He stated that the problem was partly due to increased rainfall that worsened flooding, “which is threatening livelihood and the entire existence of many communities”.
“The massive gully erosion affected Oguduasaa and Uturu communities of Isuikwuato — the major agricultural food basket of Abia State, and the connecting routes to Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States.
He said: “It has completely separated contiguous communities of Oguduasaa and Uturu from reaching Isuikwuato Local Government Area and beyond.
“This has affected the entire people of Isuikwuato, resulting in loss of lives, property and especially hindering access to crucial farmlands, and limiting the evacuation of food crops during the harvesting season.”
Ohuabunwa stated that with the “attendant food insecurity” within the state and beyond, urgent intervention was needed to arrest the situation before another heavy rainy season.
Consequently, the lawmakers urged the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, and other relevant agencies to quickly intervene to rescue the situation.
This, they said, is critical to restore easy mobility of vehicles, citizens, goods and services through the affected areas of Oguduasaa and Uturu communities.
They urged the National Emergency Management Agency to quickly provide relief materials to displaced citizens in the affected communities.
The senators also called on the Nigerian Ecological Fund and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project to urgently collaborate to address the problem.
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