Residents of Amamba, Ngwu, Amankwo, Agbazu and Eluama communities in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have appealed to the Federal Government, Abia State Government and Bende Local Government Council to urgently intervene over a worsening gully erosion that has destroyed homes, farmlands and displaced families.
The affected communities said the environmental disaster has already swallowed several buildings, forced residents from their homes and continues to expand with every rainfall, posing a serious threat to lives and property.
The appeal was made during a visit by journalists to the affected erosion sites, where community leaders and victims described the extent of the destruction and the urgent need for government intervention.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, the President General of Amamba Community, Hon. Sir Nelson Umezurike, alongside the President General of Eluama Community, Onyebinanma Sunday Onyebinanma, clarified that the gathering was not a protest but a peaceful appeal aimed at drawing the attention of relevant authorities to the worsening environmental crisis.
“We are not protesting. What we are doing is using this opportunity to draw the attention of government to the frustration we are facing. If we wanted to protest, we would have gone to the main road,” Umezurike said.
The community leaders commended members of the media for visiting the affected areas, expressing optimism that increased public awareness would attract the urgent intervention needed to save the communities.
According to Umezurike, the affected area was originally developed as a residential layout where many residents had already built homes before the erosion began.
He disclosed that the community had previously invested more than ₦7 million on temporary erosion control measures, but the intervention was washed away within weeks by heavy floodwaters.
He attributed the worsening erosion to alleged poor drainage construction during an internal road project, claiming that contractors terminated drainage channels without connecting them to appropriate discharge points despite repeated appeals by residents.
“When we asked the contractors to connect the drainage to the appropriate discharge channel, our efforts yielded no result. That marked the beginning of this disaster,” he said.
Umezurike further revealed that residents contributed over ₦60 million in 2019 towards another erosion control project after seven houses had already collapsed. However, he said the project failed due to the overwhelming volume of floodwater.
He also alleged that another road contractor later repeated similar drainage errors in another section of the community, further worsening the erosion problem despite repeated appeals for corrective action.
While acknowledging previous efforts by political leaders, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Governor Alex Otti through his representatives, and the member representing the area in the Abia State House of Assembly for drawing attention to the situation, Umezurike maintained that the scale of destruction now exceeds the community’s capacity to manage.
He appealed to the Ecological Project Office, the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Abia State Government and Bende Local Government Council to urgently intervene.
“We are appealing to all levels of government to intervene because protecting the lives and property of citizens is one of the primary responsibilities of government. We believe we have a listening government, and we are pleading for urgent action,” he said.
According to him, the erosion has already destroyed about seven buildings, displaced several families and continues to threaten more homes.
“This place has rendered people homeless. Anytime it rains, we cannot sleep with our two eyes closed because the erosion keeps expanding,” he lamented.
He added that although the community had provided temporary support for displaced residents, many affected families had relocated to neighbouring communities while awaiting lasting government intervention.
Victims of the disaster also made emotional appeals for urgent assistance.
Speaking during the inspection, Chisaraokwu Onyeanusi, Okechukwu Nwosu and Mrs. Ihekwumere Nnenneya Chikereze said they now live in constant fear as the gully continues to widen after every rainfall.
“We are pleading with the government to come to our rescue. It is no longer easy for us. We are not finding it easy anymore. The situation is becoming more difficult every day,” one of the victims said.
They explained that the erosion has become so dangerous that many residents are afraid to go near the affected area for fear of further land collapse.
“I am even scared to go near the place. We don’t know what will happen next week because the erosion is getting worse,” another resident lamented.
The victims appealed for permanent erosion control measures to halt the destruction and restore confidence among residents.
“Government should come and help us by doing whatever is necessary to stop this erosion so that we can enjoy our lives again. We are always afraid because you don’t know whether your house could be swallowed by the erosion while you are sleeping,” a resident added.
Reacting to the development, the Mayor of Bende Local Government Area, Chief Uwabunkonye Basset, confirmed that the council was aware of the situation and had conducted an inspection of the affected sites.
According to him, the magnitude of the gully erosion is beyond the financial and technical capacity of the local government to address.
He described the project as one requiring the intervention of the Federal Government, expressing hope that the necessary authorities would take urgent steps to tackle the environmental disaster before more homes and lives are affected.
