A disturbing environmental crisis facing the Ebem community in Ohafia LGA has been brought to the attention of the Abia State House of Assembly, as Hon. Kalu Mba Nwoke raised a Matter of Urgent Public Importance during Tuesday’s plenary session, ABN TV reports.
Hon. Nwoke, representing Ohafia South State Constituency, alerted fellow lawmakers to eight major erosion sites currently threatening lives, homes, farmlands, and public infrastructure across the community. He warned that unless immediate action is taken, the devastation could escalate into a full-blown disaster.
“This is no longer a local challenge. It is an emergency that requires immediate attention from all levels of government. Our people are in danger,” the lawmaker declared.
Hon. Nwoke listed the affected erosion sites as follows:
1. Ndi Inyima, Ndi Idika Awa, Ndi Agwu Eziukwu, Ndi Nsi Eziukwu axis
2. Ndi Ukpola, Ndi Agwu Ekeluogo, Ndi Anaga axis
3. Ndi Ukpola, back of Ebem Ujurueze palace
4. Uzo Mkpogolo and Uzo Mgbaga
5. Uzo Mgbaga (extending separately)
6. Ndi Ado and back of the Police Barracks (Ohafia Divisional Headquarters & Area Command)
7. Unity Road, Ebem Ohafia
8. Back of Mben Hospital
“These areas are collapsing rapidly, especially with the intensifying rainfall. The danger is growing by the day,” Hon. Nwoke added.
He further stated that the erosion has caused severe environmental degradation and economic hardship, crippling the community’s economy. “If left unchecked,” he warned, “the erosion could wipe out the entire community.”
The House responded swiftly by referring the matter to the Committee on Environment for comprehensive legislative review and on-site assessment. The committee is expected to propose immediate intervention measures to halt the spread and prevent further catastrophe.
Other lawmakers including Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie Meregini, Deputy Speaker, and Hon. Nnamdi Ibekwe (Bende North) expressed strong support and urged the Abia State Government to prioritize the issue to safeguard lives and properties.
In response, the Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, expressed concern over the crisis and has taken concrete steps to address it. He mandated Hon. Kalu Mba Nwoke, who also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, to lead an on-the-spot assessment visit to the erosion sites. The Committee was further tasked to collaborate with relevant agencies to develop a comprehensive erosion control and intervention plan for Ebem and similar affected areas.
Recall that on Wednesday last week, the Publicity Secretary of the Ebem Ohafia Development Union, Ifeanyi Okali, had spoken with newsmen, expressing grave concern that the lives and properties of his kinsmen, including the traditional ruler, were under threat of being wiped out by the aggressive erosion, especially during the peak of the rainy season.
He noted that while various age grades and the Development Union had, in the past, undertaken local efforts to manage the problem, the scale of destruction has now surpassed the capacity of community-based interventions.
“This ecological problem is now beyond the control and capacity of communal efforts,” Okali stated.
He passionately appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Alex Otti, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa, who represents Arochukwu/Ohafia in the House of Representatives, alongside other concerned individuals and government agencies, to urgently intervene before it becomes too late.
