ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Government, in a proactive move, has initiated steps to tackle the growing menace of Igwogwo gully erosion in the Amachai-Okpanam area of Oshimili North Local Government Area. Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Mr. Charles Aniagwu, made this announcement during a recent on-site inspection of the erosive devastation.
Commissioner Aniagwu, acting upon the directive of State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, emphasized the Governor’s commitment to addressing the community’s pressing concerns. Aniagwu stated, “Let me inform you that His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has instructed that we visit this particular area, Amachai quarters in Okpanam, with a view to have first-hand information on this particular gully erosion that has caused some levels of devastation in this environment.”
The Commissioner, accompanied by engineers from the Ministry of Works, assessed the extent of the damage and its imminent threat to local infrastructure. He expressed grave concern about the consequences if unchecked, noting, “You have seen the level of devastation and if it’s not checked, a number of houses will go down the drain.”
Aniagwu highlighted the connection between human activities, housing development, and the erosion, saying, “You do know that there have been a lot of human activities around here in terms of developments; individuals building their houses. The more they build these houses, the more they construct some form of earth roads to their houses.” This increased construction, he explained, redirected rainwater into the erosion site, exacerbating the problem.
“We are going back to brief His Excellency of what we are seeing here so that our administration will take steps to address the problem because it is very ugly and obviously if not addressed, it will cause further devastation,” Aniagwu affirmed.
He urged residents to remain patient, assuring them that the government would provide support in overcoming this challenge. “Our Governor is somebody who believes that the people need to get value, which is why he has asked us to come here,” Aniagwu stated. “He is also quite convinced that Deltans have confidence in him and his ability to meet them where they are challenged, and this is one of those challenges.”
Chukwunenye Okonkwo, Chairman of the Amachai Landlords Association, expressed gratitude to Governor Oborevwori for the swift response and appealed for urgent attention to the erosion challenge, citing the imminent risk to many buildings.
During the inspection, the Commissioner, accompanied by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, also assessed gully erosion sites around Vanguard Road and behind NNPC Mega station along Lagos-Asaba dual carriage, underlining the government’s comprehensive approach to addressing erosion-related issues in the region.
