Umeh Urges FG to Declare Erosion Emergency in S’East

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Senator Victor Umeh, has called on the federal government to declare emergency on the menace of erosion in the South-east.

The Senator made the call while inspecting a portion of Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Oba, Anambra State, where erosion cut off one lane of the road, causing diversion of traffic.

Umeh, who inspected the portion with some cabinet chiefs of Oba community, said there was need for the federal government to declare emergency on erosion menace in the South-east, but added that more urgent work was needed in the area to save houses and industries, which are threatened by the gullies.

“What we are seeing here is an emergency that the federal government should intervene in. If you look far to the other side of the gully, you will see that houses are threatened in this area, so for industries too.

“One of the cabinet chiefs in Oba here with us has an industry over there, which provides employment to the people, but it is being threatened.

“This part of the road has been totally cut off, and you can see that the only part of the road that is now being used is also threatened.

“This is beyond the control of the state government. So there is need for the federal government to step in. The other lane will not survive another two weeks from what we are seeing here.

“This is a very critical road, which links people from Lagos and other South-west part of the country into South-east and South-south. Second Niger Bridge is just over there.

“I came into Anambra last night, and decided to come and see this for myself today. I will take this back to the Senate, and we will let the Senate president to also know that his people also use this road.

“We are sure that the Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio would like to see by himself and see how the National Assembly can intervene, at least on this section.

“If this road fails, nobody from the South-south and part of the South-east will be able to go to Lagos any more. This is a very critical road, and we hope that the federal government will intervene,” Umeh said.