Ekwunife Meets Agulu/Nanka/Oko Erosion Committee

KINGSLEY UBANI

The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Uche Ekwunife on Monday 24th August, 2020 met with the Agulu/Nanka/Oko erosion committee at her Constituency Office in Awka, Anambra State.

The Committee which was led by its Coordinator, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene met with Senator Ekwunife to seek her intervention on the erosion menace in the three communities.

Speaking during the meeting, Chief Ogene stated that the Agulu/Nanka/Oko erosion challenge requires serious National and International intervention to forestall the imminent danger it poses to the communities.

Chief Ogene who appreciated Ekwunife for her assistance towards the mitigation of the menace in the past noted that most interventions the communities have received from her have come without any formal request due to her interest in seeing that the erosion challenges of the communities are mitigated. 

He called on her to in her usual way of assisting in matters like this, attract the attention of relevant National and International Agencies to save the communities from being sacked by erosion.

In his remark, the Traditional Ruler of Nanka, HRH Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo lauded the Senator for assisting Nanka community in addressing some of its erosion challenges in the past.

Igwe Ezeilo while describing erosion as the common challenge of the three communities noted that urgent steps must be taken to save the three communities from collapsing due to erosion menace. He urged the Senator to partner with her colleagues Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and the members of house of representatives from the affected communities to attract international attention to the erosion challenges being faced by the communities.

Also lending his voice to the discussion was the Traditional Ruler of Agulu, HRH Igwe Innocent Obodoakor who recalled Senator Ekwunife’s giant strides as a member of House of Representatives. Igwe Obodoakor described the Senator as a generous politician who is capable of bringing succor to the erosion challenges bedevilling the communities by relaying the demands of the committee to attract solutions that will assist in mitigating the erosion challenges of the three communities.

In her reaction, Senator Ekwunife described erosion as a natural cause which cannot be completely eradicated but must be consistently mitigated. She noted that Agulu/Nanka/Oko erosion menace is a National Disaster which must be given necessary attention by the Federal Government to save the three communities and other surrounding communities from the dangers associated with such level of erosion.

While stating that she is conversant with the erosion challenges of the communities, the Senator noted that mitigating the menace has gone beyond the capacity of Federal and State Government. She assured the committee that she will partner with her colleagues in the National Assembly to draw the attention of the World Bank and other International Agencies to the menace. She also adviced that people should follow the topography of the environment while building their houses as well as reduce deforestation. She emphasized the need for planting of trees as a means of checking erosion. 

Present in the meeting were President Generals of the communities and other members of the committee.