Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo West)

From Kunle Akogun in Abuja

The Federal Government has been urged to take urgent steps to stop further loss of lives and property in the South-east occasioned by the intractable erosion in the area.

The appeal was made yesterday by Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo West) after an assessment tour of erosion sites in the Orlu area of the state. The tour was a follow-up to Uzodinma's earlier motion in the Senate seeking a declaration of the South-east as a disaster zone.

Briefing the senator during the visit, the leaders of the erosion-ravaged communities, led by Chief Luke Mbadiwe, thanked him for moving the erosion motion in the Senate.

Lamenting that “the situation is becoming worse everyday”, Mbadiwe told the Senator: “We have lost 200 people and more than five buildings this month alone. The situation is bad and frightening and we want the Federal Government to do something very urgently before we all perish.”

The community leader explained that the erosion problem had not been attended to for over 10 years and was now getting worse by the day.

In his response, Uzodinma assured the people that he would do all within his power to ensure that the Federal Government did something urgently to address the problem.

“I have seen the gravity and magnitude of this erosion problem,” he said, lamenting that “this is a very pathetic situation.”

The lawmaker vowed not to fold his arms and watch his people die and lose their homes every day, promising to “do all within my powers as your senator to attract the attention of the federal government for an urgent solution to this menace.”



Apart from communities cut off by erosion, Uzodinma also toured federal roads in the area that were badly affected by the erosion. The roads included: Oba Nnewi-Uga-Akokwa-Arondiziogu road, Owerri-Orlu-Akokwa-Uga road, Uli-Ebuonu-Osomoto road, Okwelle-Urualla road, Owerri-Okwudor-Orlu road and Ihiala-Orlu-Aghara-Umuahia road.