Soludo raises concern over indiscriminate sand mining

Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has sounded an alarm over the escalating environmental crisis facing the state, particularly highlighting the dangers posed by indiscriminate sand mining and the obstruction of waterways. Addressing the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Soludo declared these practices as the state's number one existential threat, directly contributing to increased vulnerability to flooding and gully erosion.

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Let me draw your attention to the emergency that we face: the environment, flooding, and gully erosion. It is Anambra’s number one existential threat.

"Anambra is currently at a dire environmental tipping point," Soludo stated, emphasizing that while Lagos expands into the ocean, Anambra is shrinking, with entire communities being lost to ecological disasters. He mandated the immediate, state-wide desilting of all drainage systems and a complete cessation of rampant sand mining activities. The governor pointed to human actions, such as channeling runoff onto roads and dumping waste into drainage systems, as exacerbating the problem.

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While Lagos is expanding into the ocean, Anambra is shrinking. Whole communities are being swallowed, and we are battling it. If we devote the entire state budget for the next 10 years, we will not be able to significantly scratch the surface of this threat.

Soludo explained that sand mining creates avenues for erosion, further damaging the landscape. He noted the immense challenge of addressing this threat, suggesting that even a decade of the entire state budget might not be enough to significantly mitigate the damage. He stressed the collective duty to protect the environment, especially given Anambra's status as having the second-smallest landmass in Nigeria, which is rapidly diminishing.

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We blocked the drainage; there should be a state of emergency in desilting all the drainage. Even people who mine sand contribute to this, because as the sand is being removed, it creates an avenue for erosion. We have our duties to protect our environment.

Shifting focus to governance, Governor Soludo announced a strategic pivot toward formalizing the role of communities within the state's administrative hierarchy. Following a recent Supreme Court judgment, he plans to implement a community administration law that will define communities as the fourth tier of government. This move aims to address fragmented governance, which has often resulted from town unions acting as de facto governing bodies, despite their nature as voluntary associations.

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The new Supreme Court judgment on autonomous communities in Anambra State settles the matter. Our community administration law will establish a schedule of communities that make up a local government and address most of the issues surrounding the tensions currently surrounding town unions.