Former Vice President Ekwueme community under renewed erosion threat
By Emmanuel Ndukuba
Awka, July 13, 204
Dr Alex Ekwueme, late former Nigerian Vice-president’s Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra state is under serious erosion threat with many buildings and cash crops washed away.
The community, according to a research by the International Erosion Control Association is captured in the world danger list among severe erosion threat areas.
Hon.Casmir Nwafor, President-General of the community, has appealed to the International Erosion Control Agency, Federal and state governments to help with solution the age-long problem confronting the town.
Nwafor made the appeal on Saturday at the scene of a collapsed one- storey building at Eziabor Village, Oko.
According to him, many residential buildings and cash crops have been washed away by recent heavy downpour in the community.
Nwafor, however, added that thus no life was lost yet, but many people have been rendered homeless and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
The President-General of Oko Peoples Union (OPU) who is also the Transition Committee Chairman of Orumba North Council, revealed that the erosion which caused the collapse of the one-storey building at Eziabor Village, Oko has become life threatening to members of the community and neighbouring towns.
He affirmed that if urgent measures are not taken more buildings in the community will also collapse.
Also speaking, the Vice President of the union, Chief Sunday Nwafor called for urgent engineering work at the site to save the constant nightmares.
Some residents of the community, Chief Remigius Okeke, Lady Christiana Obi and others, said: “They have continued to lose both human beings and valuable property to erosion in the area while appealing to relevant authorities and concerned citizens for help.
