THE Senate has called for an immediate collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Environment, Ecological Fund Office and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in order to tackle the menace of erosion devastation in Edo Central Senatorial District.
The Senate also called on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to collaborate and carry out emergency works on Ekpoma (Uhiele, Ujoelen, Ukpenu, Borehole Road & Emuhi), Irrua (Uwesan and Ikekato), Ewu (Eguare and Uzogholo), Uromi (Efandion, Eguare & Uzegwa), Udo and Illushi.
The Upper Chamber mandated the Committees on Environment, Ecology, Works, Special Duties, FERMA (when constituted) and Legislative Compliance to engage the Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, NEMA and Ecological Fund Office to come up with a durable and lasting workplan to arrest the devastation; Involve FERMA to prevent the expressways and other roads in the area from further degradation.
The Senate called for the setting up of NEMA stations in Edo central to assist residents in the event of emergency that could lead to loss of lives and properties.
Resolutions of the Senate on Tuesday were sequel to a motion titled, ”Urgent Need for Erosion Control in Edo Central Senatorial District to Save Lives and Property.”
The motion was sponsored by Senator Monday Okpebholo, APC, Edo Central.
In his presentation, Senator Okpebholo said that the Senate: “Notes that the peculiar nature of the topography of Edo central senatorial district has put many communities under the constant threat of erosion devastation, resulting in massive gully erosions, flooding and road devastations, which is one major reason why most roads quickly fail leading in communities and homes being damaged and abandoned;
“Also notes that the Okene-Auchi-Benin expressway, a major road infrastructure in Nigeria began to fail at the Ekpoma axis owing to several gully erosions. The Ewu-Uromi-Agbor Road corridor has also experienced similar fate in Uromi axis. Nigerians in Irrua, Ekpoma, Uromi, Ewu and other communities have fled their homes or got their access roads damaged owing to the erosion problems. In June, two persons died after being swept away from their homes in Ujoelen, Ekpoma. A school girl died two years ago in Efandion, Uromi, on her way to school due to the uncontrollable flooding. It is difficult to construct roads to Udo community because of the wild erosion gullies. This trend is all over the area.”
According to him, the Senate is “Worried that infrastructure like roads and electricity will be grievously affected by the devastation of gully erosion if the situation is not arrested as government institutions like schools and hospitals will also be damaged and more Nigerians may lose their homes as it is already being experienced; and
“Also worried that ongoing highway road projects in Edo central face the risk of being damaged even before they are completed, as a result of which the country may just be losing hundreds of millions of naira because of the natural disaster. The cost of interventions in erosion disaster is too weighty for local and state governments to bear.”
(Courtesy: Vanguard)
