Ewu: Ordeal of erosion-ravaged Edo community. Even as Ewu, a community in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, grapples with infrastructure decay, its greatest concern, for now, is the erosion that is ravaging it. The gully with extensive width and depth surfaced about 10 years ago and has by the last count, virtually cut the community into two, with each side, unable to access the other. Two persons have already been reportedly killed and over four houses submerged by the menacing gully, while more are on the verge of caving in, rendering many homeless in its wake. With the gully expanding with each passing day, threat of displacement continues to stare at the residents of the community. Of particular concern is that the palace of the monarch of the community is just meters from the gully site. Though his several appeals to relevant authorities seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, the monarch, HRH Zaiki Raqak Isesele Ojeifo 111, Onogie of Ewu, has sustained his persistence. He continues to press it, hoping and praying would make responsible authorities act accordingly. According to him, representations had previously been made to Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, the Federal Ministry of Environment, as well as the government of Edo State. The community had also attracted the presence of the Minister for Works, Mike Onolememe, as well as the member representing the area at the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale who raised the issue at the floor of the House. Unfortunately, these efforts have failed to yield the desired results; hence the gully continues its devastation. The joy of the monarch had risen when the project was listed in the 2012 federal budget. But to his dismay, it was never implemented. “We have made several efforts. There was a time we went to the Benin-Owena River Bassi Development. We wrote several letters; and indeed they came here. They saw the problem themselves, and they promised coming back. But up till now, nothing has been done. “Then we got in touch with our member at the House of Representatives, Patrick Ikhariale. In fact, he did a marvelous job, in bringing up the matter at the floor of the house. Several moves were made; the Minister for Environment was consulted and she did promise that something was going to be done. People from the ministry came; they did their normal investigation and promised that they were going to come back. “In fact the project was in last year’s budget. When we discovered it was in last year’s federal budget, we were very happy. But to our disappointment, as it were, the project was not done. They only came, dumped some few things and promised coming back. “When they brought the materials, it was during the raining season, and they said because it was rainy season, there was really nothing much they could do, but that they would come back during the dry season. As you are aware, dry season has long gone. We are in another rainy season now, and nothing substantial has been done about it. “We have made several efforts to get these people involved. The Minister for works, Mike Onolememe was here recently. He came to check, in fact he almost wept when he saw it. He promised to liaise with his colleague in the Ministry of Environment, but till now, nothing substantial has been done”, the monarch lamented. Recently however, Edo State Government announced its readiness to approach the World Bank to seek a loan of between 75 to 100 million dollars to work on the erosion sites across the state; due to the huge financial outlay needed to tackle the menace of gully erosion. The fund is being sourced from the 650 million dollar facility approved by the Bank to tackle Nigeria’s Erosion Watershed Management Programme as approved by President Goodluck Jonathan. According to the state Commissioner for Environment, Prince Clem Agba, the fund would assist the Government tackle the problem of gully erosion in 110 sites in the state, adding however, that it was subject to the National Assembly approval of the country’s borrowing plan. The World Bank facility, he explained, is meant to address erosion problems in the five Eastern states of the country as well as Edo and Cross River states. Agba made the disclosure in reaction to a call by the Ewu, monarch to the Government to rescue his community from the menace of the erosion. The commissioner had identified gully sites in the state to include Queen Ede in Benin, Ewu, Iruekpen and Ibore in Edo Central and Warrake, and parts of Auchi in Edo North as the worst erosion sites in the state. “We have taken inventory of all of these sites. Mr. President has approved the Nigeria Erosion Watershed Management Programme, which is for five eastern states as well as Cross River and Edo states. It’s going to be World Bank funded. The board of directors of the World Bank approved $650m facility, but the issue is that there is an imbroglio between the presidency and the National Assembly. “They have not been able to approve the national borrowing plan and until that plan is approved, none of the seven states can access the fund to begin to deal with the problem of erosion. Hopefully, if the national borrowing plan is approved, we should be able to get about $75 to $100m to begin to address the gully erosion problem,” Agba said. The Commissioner disclosed that the erosion menace in the state was not what the state government could shoulder alone. “It is clearly beyond the capability of the state government. I mentioned that the design has been done; we had a study done by Sirajn Consultant and paid for by Setraco Nigeria Limited. The study showed that we need about N40bn to deal with the gully erosion, but when we looked at the report, a substantial part of the gully erosion was not taken care of,” he explained. The monarch urges the government to match its promises with actions by ensuring that the erosion menace is effectively tackled. “Well the state government promised a lot. As far as we are concerned, we have to see tangible work being done before we can now say something is happening. But that does not mean the comrade governor is not doing something about it. “The last time I met with him, he told me about the state’s collaboration with the World Bank to tackle it. He said there was a loan they were pursuing. I think about a month ago the State House of Assembly approved it for the state government to go ahead to get the fund from the World Bank. “That sounds good to us because Ewu is one of the communities in Edo State that is being ravage by gully erosion. So we hope when the fund is eventually released, we will have succour” he said.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 07:08:04 +0000
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