Senator representing Anambra Central, Chief Victor Umeh, has appealed to the Federal Government to urgently address the worsening erosion and flooding affecting Obosi and Ogidi communities in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The two communities, known as the hometowns of former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku and renowned novelist Prof. Chinua Achebe respectively, have suffered significant damage from the ecological crisis.
Several homes in Obosi have been affected, while the palace of the traditional ruler of Ogidi, Igwe Alex Onyido, was flooded following heavy rainfall at the weekend.
Umeh made the call during an inspection of the affected areas, stressing that the scale of the destruction was beyond the capacity of the state government and local communities to manage alone.
In Obosi, some residents have reportedly moved to safer locations, while flooding has rendered the Ogidi section of the old Enugu-Onitsha road inaccessible to motorists and other road users.
The senator said he would raise the issue on the Senate floor when lawmakers resume next month and seek support from his colleagues for immediate intervention.
He also advocated declaring a state of emergency over Anambra’s ecological challenges, warning that the state’s limited landmass was being steadily lost to expanding erosion gullies.
Umeh said the situation required coordinated action involving the Federal Government, relevant national agencies and international partners.
He noted that previous efforts to control erosion in Idemili North and South had produced limited results, describing the situation as increasingly alarming.
The senator also disclosed plans to write to the Minister of Environment and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as present a formal motion to the Senate on the matter.
Meanwhile, community member Chief Eric Anyamene said residents had previously contributed about N48 million towards intervention efforts at the affected site.
He explained that more than 12 hours of continuous rainfall last Thursday triggered what he described as a tremor, creating a gully measuring over 30 feet deep and more than one kilometre long.
Anyamene said the ongoing palliative work had cost approximately N141 million, but stressed that the intervention was aimed only at slowing further destruction and could not provide a permanent solution.
He thanked Senator Umeh for visiting the affected communities and showing concern over the environmental crisis.
