FG team inspects erosion sites in Anambra

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FG team inspects erosion sites in Anambra

A Federal Government delegation from the Ecological Project Office, under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on Wednesday, visited Anambra State to carry out an on-the-spot- assessment of some of the erosion sites in the state.

Speaking to journalists after the inspection, the leader of the delegation, Lawal Mohammed, said the visit was to ascertain the level of damage already caused by erosion and determine the kind of intervention the Federal Government could make.

Mohammed, who is an Assistant Chief Civil Engineer at the Ecological Project Office, said the report of the inspection would get to the appropriate authorities. He gave the assurance of quick intervention by the Federal Government.

He said, “It is noteworthy that the Ecological Fund Office is an office under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation headed by a Permanent Secretary. The fund constitutes one per cent of the Federation Account and it is known as Derivation and Ecology Fund.

“The prime objective of the initiative was to have a pool of funds that would be solely devoted to the funding of ecological projects to mitigate serious ecological problems.”

The team was conducted around the erosion sites by the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Felix Odimegwu, and members of Anambra State Erosion, Watershed, and Climate Change Agency.

Odimegwu, in his remarks, said Anambra State had the highest number of erosion sites in the country and called for urgent intervention of the Federal Government in order to save the roads, houses, farmlands, and industries that were threatened by the erosion.

He equally called on well-to-do Anambra citizens to join hands with the state government in restoring its lands from erosion even as he commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his quick interventions in some of the erosion sites in the state.

Some of the erosion sites visited were Royal Estate Ububa Village behind the College of Nursing, Nkpor; Oba gully erosion site; Nza Ozubulu-Ekwusigo-Umudike Ukpor, Ukpor-Nnewi road; Awo-Ezimuzor Ezinifite, Nnewi South, Ogbedi Amichi gully erosion site, among others.