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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Disasters & Emergencies

Erosion: Communities lament collapse of houses in Abia

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Five communities in Abia State are seeking urgent government intervention as three severe erosion sites have caused the collapse of six houses and devastated residential areas.
  • Residents have spent millions on palliative measures over eight years, but recent aggravation is attributed to road contractors improperly channeling drainage water into the affected zones.
  • The communities are appealing to federal, state, and local authorities, as well as the Ecological Department, to provide assistance as the disaster is rendering people homeless and continues to worsen with rainfall.

Communities in Abia State's Uzuakoli area are facing a worsening erosion crisis, with five villages pleading for government intervention after the collapse of six homes. The devastation, which began over eight years ago, has now reached a critical point, impacting residential areas in Amamba, Ngwu, Amankwo, Agbozu, and Eluama.

The community has been doing handling the issue themselves while waiting for the intervention of the government. However, what is happening presently is something that we never expected.

— Nelson UmezurikePresident General of Ohabuike Amamba community, describing the community's efforts and the unexpected severity of the erosion.

Residents have attempted to manage the situation themselves, spending over N7 million on repairs that were quickly washed away by floodwaters. Community leaders point to road contractors as a major cause of the increased erosion. They allege that contractors ignored advice to properly channel drainage water, instead directing it into the affected areas, exacerbating the problem.

"When we protested and asked them to link the drainage channel to the discharge point we had established, our advice was ignored," said Nelson Umezurike, President General of Ohabuike Amamba community. He added that a similar mistake by another contractor led to the current magnitude of the disaster.

When we protested and asked them to link the drainage channel to the discharge point we had established, our advice was ignored.

— Nelson UmezurikePresident General of Ohabuike Amamba community, explaining how road contractors contributed to the erosion problem.

In 2019, the community mobilized over N60 million for palliative measures after seven buildings collapsed, but this investment was also lost to the floods. The communities are now appealing to the federal, state, and local governments, including the Ecological Department and local representatives like Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for urgent assistance. The situation is described as dire, with residents fearing for their homes and safety during rainfall.

This disaster is gradually rendering people homeless. This particular place has swallowed about seven buildings, and the thing continues to increase every day. Anytime that there is rain, we will not sleep without two eyes.

— Nelson UmezurikePresident General of Ohabuike Amamba community, highlighting the ongoing threat and impact of the erosion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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