Tobias Sylvester
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo has visited Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo to seek the support of the federal government and development partners in tackling erosion in the state.
Soludo Meets Osinbajo Over Erosion In Anambra
During the meeting at the state house in Abuja on Wednesday, the governor said between 30% to 40% of Anambra land mass was currently threatened by erosion and other ecological problems.
Soludo said the state’s entire budget for ten consecutive years would not be sufficient to tackle the erosion which had become a matter of emergency, adding that only an urgent intervention from the federal government and other development partners could save the situation.
He, however, disclosed that the state government had already commenced steps towards introducing better environmental awareness among the people, targeted at limiting factors that worsen the erosion problem.
His words: “The environment is our number one existential threat, other than security, and Anambra is the erosion capital of Nigeria.
“Perhaps, you might know that about 30% to 40% of our land is under threat of erosion, there’s no other state like Anambra, when it comes to erosion.
“Even last week, somewhere between Ezinhifite/Osumenyin Road was cut off again and several … Huge gullies everywhere; Obosi, Oko, Nanka, Aguolo, everywhere, there’s erosion menace.
“Like I said, while our landmass is shrinking massively due to erosion and so on, it’s far, far beyond the capacity of a state government to deal with.
“Even if you were to sink the entire budget of the state into dealing with the gully erosion in the state, even if you were to sink all of them for the next ten years, it will still be like a drop in the ocean.
“This is an area where the state government wishes to partner effectively with the federal government and the development partners to deal with that.
“It is a state of emergency, with regards to erosion. And of course, we’re also promoting this concept of responsible citizenship on the part of our people, to be able to take some responsible steps.
“We are providing some regulations; people controlling the runoff water from their homes, they don’t just pipe them and get them off on the streets.
“Of course, they must go somewhere, contain it within you your place. Building controls; it will designate drain versus buildable areas, and so on and so forth.”
Speaking on the security situation in his state, Soludo said Anambra ranked among the five to 10 most secure states in the country, adding that most of the criminal rings in the state had been degraded as camps of kidnappers and other organized criminal gangs had been uprooted.
“On daily basis there used to be kidnappings, killings and so on. There were more than 15 camps all over in the southern senatorial zone plus Ogbaru and I think they have been uprooted from those places. Anambra is relatively peaceful,” he said.
On the disappearance of the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in last election in the state, Mr. Obiora Agbasimalo, Soludo said security agencies are digging deeper into the case.
KanyiDaily recalls that Governor Charles Soludo had debunked reports that those perpetrating criminalities in the state are invaders, stressing that all the unknown gunmen unleashing terror on the state are Igbo people.
