Many devastated residents have cried out for urgent help as erosion takes over their community in Enugu State.
File photo: Erosion
According to Nigerian Tribune, the people of Amuzam Community, Enugu Ngwo in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, have cried out for help over erosion menace in the area.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the area recently, a former transition committee chairman of Enugu North Local Government, Sir Isaac Igwe, lamented the erosion devastation of farmlands in the community, adding that residential buildings were also affected.
Honourable Igwe said that the local council had spent over N5m in checking the erosion, urging the Federal Government and state governments to come to their rescue because the natural disaster was getting beyond their control.
He advised the residents of the community to make urgent evacuation of their property before the water sweept the entire community away.
Also speaking, the President-general of the Enugu-Ngwo Town Union, John Enwu, said the devastating effect of the erosion had caused untold hardship to the people of the area, urging the authorities to collaborate in fighting the menace.
“We plead with the federal and state governments for quick intervention to prevent our community from going into extinction”, Enwu added.
Earlier, the Chairman of Amuzam community, Nze Emmanuel Ani, said “the effect is better imagine than felt.”
“Already our farmlands, three poultry farms and a storey building have been affected. It has started encroaching on residential buildings and if urgent intervention is not made now, three storey buildings will also be destroyed”, Ani said.
He said the case had since been reported to the Federal Government including other agencies in charge of the control, adding that the World Bank indicated interests to tackle the menace but currently waiting for counterpart funds from other stakeholders.
Nigerian Tribune observed that other areas affected by erosion include Umueze-Asata, where farmlands had also been washed away. The erosion has started encroaching into St. Theresa Catholic Church Parish at Hilltop and the entire Colliery axis.