No fewer than 200 persons have been rendered homeless following the
destruction of houses by gully erosion in Onitsha, Anambra State.Over five houses, including St. Philips Anglican Church, a school belonging to Redeemed Church in Nkisi Aroli/Obeleagu, Inland Town, as well as two-storey building were reportedly at the verge of collapse if nothing urgent was done.
Displaced residents of the community have appealed to the state Governor, Willie Obiano for his quick intervention towards salvaging the remaining buildings.
In a Save Our Soul (SOS), message, the victims also asked President Mohammed Buhari through the Ecological Fund office to come to their rescue.
The letters partly read, “We expected that the Onitsha North local government and the State Ministry of Environment would have come urgently to our rescue to stop further impact.
“Now, more buildings will soon go once it rains. We fear for our lives. Our hearts ache because of property of families and legacies lost”.
Spokesperson of the community, Mr. Arthur Mazeli, told reporters yesterday that they had also written to the National Assembly through their representatives, Lynda Ikpeazu and Sen. Stella Odua, with no response from any of them.
He said, “Some officials of the state government including Commissioners for Envrionment and Agriculture, Commissioner of Police have visited the site, making bogus promises.
“All efforts so far made are purely communal but they are so infinitesimal to the magnitude of the scourge.”
Debunking insinuation that some structures were built on water channel, Mazeli explained that the drainage channel which collected water from the upper part of Inland Town gave way due to the force of the flood which started eating deep into the soil.
On his part, the Priest in charge of St. Philips Anglican Church, Umu-Aroli, Rev. Chinedu Agugua, thanked God that no life had been lost to the erosion, but said they were eagerly looking forward to government’s immediate intervention.
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