The member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency, Sam Onuigbo has raised the alarm over what he described as ravaging erosion in the South East, and called for urgent federal government intervention.
Onuigbo stated this when he visited the site of the ongoing reconstruction of Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene road and gully erosion recovery work/water discharge system at Amawom, Oboro in Ikwuano local government area of Abia State.
While expressing concern that the menace is threatening both lives and property in the zone, he appealed to the incoming administration to include its handling among its priority list.
He said, “The menace is devastating everywhere, creating environmental problems, and destroying buildings. It is also affecting agricultural areas, splitting communities and hindering farmers access to their farms.”
Inspecting the site of the menace at Umuwawa in Umuahia North local government, Onuigbo noted that it had exposed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline, thereby putting the community in danger.
“It is a disaster that is waiting to happen,” the All Progressives Congress member lamented, “but it is also a disaster that can be prevented through the federal government’s intervention.”
Onuigbo, who said he had moved two motions on the floor of the House on that matter, added that he is impressed with the recovery work and water discharge system at kilometre 10 Area in Amawom.
The legislator also lauded the Federal Ministry of Works for its immediate response and excellent job and the contractor handling the project for the skills and effective remedy so far exhibited.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola “for approving the contract and thereafter moving it to the NNPC’s Tax Credit Scheme that the contract enjoys today.”
Other high points of the outing was his commissioning of a block of six classrooms and three classrooms at Amaoba and Umudike respectively and a modern health centre at Oloko which he facilitated.
At the site of the recovery work and water discharge system, the project engineer of the company, Hisham Yassin, explained that significant improvement was being made in the road construction.
He said 6.5km of the 49km road had already been delivered, while stressing that shortage of material before and during the election period did not allow for the expected progress.
