Delta community appeals for swift action on ravaging erosion

Residents of the Ogbeozoma community in Delta State, Nigeria, are urgently calling on both federal and state governments to intervene in a worsening gully erosion crisis that threatens their homes and livelihoods. The escalating erosion has already caused significant damage to infrastructure, weakened the foundations of numerous buildings, and created perilous living conditions.

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Even the blind can feel that the community is no longer what it used to be. We have nowhere to run to.

Community members expressed deep concern that without immediate action, many homes could be lost to the advancing gully. A local trader, Augustina Agba, lamented the decline in business activities and the community's gradual abandonment due to the erosion. "Even the blind can feel that the community is no longer what it used to be. We have nowhere to run to," she said, appealing for prompt government intervention.

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People have stopped building and suspended ongoing projects because they cannot access their sites.

The erosion has had a severe economic impact, with a cement dealer, Tony Nwabueze, reporting a sharp decrease in demand as construction activities have halted. The main road has been cut by the gully, stretching over three kilometers, effectively preventing residents from accessing their homes. Landlord Johnson Omoni described the situation as dire, noting that residents now rely on makeshift wooden bridges to navigate to their homes, a situation that becomes particularly life-threatening during rainfall.

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Every building now has a plank at the front to enable access. It is life-threatening, especially during rainfall, as the force of floodwaters could sweep away the bridges.

Samson Kenechi, a member of the landlords' association, mentioned that the state government has shown some concern by providing counterpart funding to support intervention efforts, intended to attract additional funding from the European Investment Bank and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP). While engagements with NEWMAP and government officials have been encouraging, with assurances of action, the community leaders implore the authorities to expedite their aid to save Ogbeozoma from this devastating environmental threat.

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We appeal to the federal and state governments to urgently come to our aid and save our community from this devastating erosion.