NDI-AGWALA ECHIELE OTAMPA ROAD THREATENED BY GULLY EROSION AND THE ATTENDANT CONSEQUENCES. URGENT GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION NEEDED

Stones that contributions by the locals through levy can afford. They are calling for support from the governments and other well-meaning people to help them find permanent solution to the menace of gully erosion in their area

Ndi-Agwala is a local community in Echiele Otampa, in Isuikwuato Local Government Area (LGA), of Abia state, located in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria. People of the community, the young and old are reputed for their cool headedness, hard work and commitment to the pursuit of meaningful and noble endeavours. Due to their strong attachment to each other, respect for rules, regulations and laws of the land, the people of Ndi-Agwala are reckoned with for being responsible and responsive, and as a matter of fact valued for leading a disciplined and honourable lifestyle.

Over the years, the community oriented disposition and lifestyle of the children of Ndi-Agwala, have seen them approach every of their issues by themselves, adopting consistently a self-driven, but communal oriented pattern, even when obviously the challenge facing them as a community requires government intervention.

Presently, Ndi-Agwala is heavily threatened by a fast spreading gully erosion that is already dismantling their road, which if not checked, and urgently too, the already worsening situation may lead to very costly consequences, including loss of lives and property.

Scoreline is reliably informed that this is not the first, second or third time that the community is faced by this disheartening, disturbing and dangerous threat, but the community members have over the years rallied round, and through self-imposed monetary levies, and extra burden imposed on some well-meaning and well-to-do members of the community, who from time to time were appealed to, and they go extra-mile and offer voluntary contributions far beyond their individual share of the levy imposed on community members by the community leaders, to ensure that the burden of continued waiting and most likely running into the obvious consequences of losing life and property of any member of the community, if the impending doom was not checked and danger averted through such contributions that enable the community carry out temporary construction works that wedge or control such dangerous and damaging incursions occasioned by heavy rain and all the associated negative effects of such rains on the soil of the area. 

A portion of the road

Investigation carried out by Scorleine in the area indicates that the problem of Ndi-Agwala with regard to the threat of gully erosion has nothing to do with blockage of water ways or channels by the people. Therefore the threat has nothing to do with bad conducts or negative behaviours by the people. The people of Ndi-Agwala on this matter cannot be accused of any reckless behaviour such as wrong erection of houses or filling the gutters with debris that cause blockage of the water channels in any way, as has often been the case in most places where similar threats occur. The cause of the problem of gully erosion in Ndi-Agwala is different. It is a menace arising from the texture of the soil in the area, and therefore, requires the intervention of government, bearing in mind that the challenge cannot be attributed to any fault of the people.

Scoreline observed that the Chairman of Ndi-Agwala Development Union, Mr. Ekwua Onyemachi is already stressed out, having adopted and applied several strategies in a series of efforts designed by him and his Executive Committee (EXCO) to raise money as has been the case in the past, but the present unfriendly economic situation in the country has more or less frustrated the efforts of the hardworking Mr. Onyemachi.

Though Scoreline is unable to reach Mr. Ekwua Onyemachi, but community members spoken to appealed for the intervention of the leadership of the Local Government Council, Isuikwuato, led by Air Vice Marshal Chinwendu Onyeike, Rtd, as the Chairman/Mayor, and the Abia state Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, who the people have so much regard for and dub as great and compassionate leaders.

A careful look along the erosion threatened road, easily reveals efforts of Mr. Ekwua Onyemachi, the community leader whose EXCO are already mobilizing resources and gathering materials to once again embark on another temporary measure, as can be seen by the presence of stones deposited at different points on the road, expected to be deployed soon for the temporary construction work on the road. But the fact according the people spoken to is the available resource this time around is grossly inadequate, thus, the well-intended efforts of the committed community leader, is being hampered seriously, while the erosion encroachment continues steadily.

The people of Ndi-Agwala as the people claim deserve urgently the intervention of their government, at both the state and local government levels, who they eulogized, claiming that they are doing good works. They are optimistic that their leaders will come to their aid and rescue them from an impending disaster.

Click the link below to see pictures showing the devastating effect of the encroaching erosion on various portions of the road of Ndi-Agwal Echiele Otampa that needs urgent attention to save the people from the damaging effects of the rain and grave consequences of disaster that may occur if not properly checked.

https://www.belfordscorelines.com/2024/06/ndi-agwala-road-echiele-otampa-needs.html

Report by Nnabugwu Chizoba