South-East, a sinking sound…as erosion threatens zone

Emeka Ibemere

A long, narrow, shallow trench made in the ground by a till caused by erosion is wearing away all the states in South East, Nigeria.

Erosion has continued to pose a challenge to the socioeconomic life of the people living in the affected areas. the lands used for agricultural and industrial purposes, ancestral homes, crops, livestock and other infrastructure are in danger with the eating deep of the soil.

Over the years, the environmental degradation has posed a serious danger defying control measures put in place by government, communities and individuals. Several suggestions by environmental experts seem to have no effect as the gully continue to stretch from one state to another. From Anambra, to Imo, to Abia, and from Abia to Ebonyi to Enugu States, all in South East, Nigeria, the issues has become a common commentary.

It would be recalled, that recently, Anambra state commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ifedi Okwenna said that he has submitted a list of 62 erosion sites to Abuja that will cost Anambra state government more than N17bn. He went ahead to state that the 62 sites are “the critical ones”. Other non-critical include “550 very active erosion sites and 1, 000 erosion sites”.

In all these states, large areas of agricultural lands have been lost while erosion has made some of the indigenes, Internally Displaced Persons, IDP. Farm lands have become unsuitable for cultivation due to gully erosion. Experts have blamed the incessant erosion challenges to human errors and claimed that it could be prevented.

According to them, chief causes of gully erosion can be traced to poor land management practices and to a lack of innovation and awareness   measures. “We   conclude   that   community based, low technology   land management practices and public awareness programs through workshops could halt the development of many gullies in the Southeastern region of Nigeria,” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES in Geological Sciences Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria stated in their research. 

In 2011, during the then Senate’s one week retreat in the region, the lawmakers took time out to visit some of the affected areas in the region, but after what looked like excursion for the members of the Senate, and Turaki A. Hassan reports on the matter, nothing tangible was done to that effect.

Several governments have come and gone with one policy or the other, the area continued to gone the deeper the six-grave feet down the surface of the earth without any near solution to the problems. Despite the globally climate change campaign, when environmental issues seem to have taken a centre stage by governments, Nigeria seems not to be bothered by the threats of erosion menace while the government of these states also look aloof to the whole danger.

Government has failed to take the environment seriously the way they take the anti-graft war campaign seriously, not knowing that environmental challenges are worse that corruption. This is because environment is the heart of economic, social, cultural and human activities. But government has refused to make a policy statement on environmental violence committed by Nigerians through neglect and abuse of the environment. Pollution, deforestation, erosion, landslides, global warming etc are the aftermaths of this abuse in the ecosystem. “The issue of protection, mapping and monitoring becomes paramount in the face of the increasing population resident in the south east geopolitical zone of the country. They are severely impoverished, particularly the rural dwellers due to environmental degradation and to increasing population impact on the environmental resources.” The experts warned.

Reports said Agulu-Nanka in Anambra State is an area badly affected by water erosion up to 250 tonnes per hectare has been lost in severe storms. It was also reported that other comparable erosion sites are Ebem – Ohafia: about 150 tonnes/hectare, and Isukwuato gully erosion comprising six major erosion sites. These sites are Ugwuntu, Ogudasaa, and Amokwe. Amaiyi – Ohuu 1 and 2, Ahaba, Umunnekwu Agbo, and Abia State University Uturu Campus. Not done yet, experts also included, Amuzukwu-Mbom Erosion Site” Ajata-Iyienyi Erosion Site

Umuahia region comprises Umuahia North and South Local Government Areas that make the capital city of Abia State. Seven major gully erosion sites have been identified: Amuzukwu – Mbom, Isieke, Isiadu – Amaeke, Amuzuoro Okwuta, and Ajata – Iyieny and Umunwanwa; with Amuzukwu – Mbom and Isieke Erosion Sites, Amuzuoro Erosion Site threatening roads and transportation system by cutting off the road linking Amuzukwu and Mbom communities, respectively; destroying arable land for agricultural purposes.

In Imo State, such site as Eziala Obizi gully erosion site, Umueshi gully erosion site, Iyi-Uzo Ihioma-Ogbaeruru gully erosion site, Umunumo Mbano gully erosion site and Urualla gully erosion site, Umuna-Uzoubi erosion site in orlu, Amucha, and Umuaka erosion sites are found in the southeastern part of Nigeria, hence the call for environmental monitoring, mapping and protection of erosion sites before they get out of control.

 It is in this regard that the people of South East have cried out to the Federal Government of Nigeria, in its renewed interest to find a lasting solution to the ecological problems in the South East and other parts of the country.

It would be recalled that few years back, the federal government through its agency known as the National Space Research and Development Agency, in a workshop on “Comprehensive Mapping and Monitoring of the Impact of Gully Erosion Problems in Southeastern Nigeria”, promised to tackle gully erosion problems in the South East, with every urgency but nothing tangible has been done in that regard to bring a deep relief to the citizens of the affected areas, and salvage the situation to prevent further damages and losses of agricultural lands.

Several properties worth billions of naira value have been destroyed and others are under treat by this menace especially houses and other properties located on the floodplain. In Umuna –Uzoubi alone, Orlu Local government area, about 100 houses have been lost in a single event of gully erosion in the heavy down pour in May this year.

 Many lives have been lost as a result of the problem of gully erosion threatening the people of Umuna-Uzoubi. One of the oldest churches in the area, Saint Joseph Catholic Church Umuna, is at the verge of being droned by erosion even as the indigenes have done several petitions to the state governor for help. Each time it rains, some either fell into these gullies and sustained various degrees of injury or died. Some instances have also been reported where people are drowned in some of the gully sites. Hundreds of people have been displaced and evacuated their homes following the gully incidences. The Road hazard caused by gully erosion at Orlu/Mgbee road is a testimony of fact the area has been cut off from their neighboures.

The erosion has separated villages and towns as it may involve collapse of the bridges linking them together. This has had negative impacts on such areas since some facilities such as schools, hospitals and water supplies shared by the affected neighboring communities may become inaccessible. Transportation of farm produce has also been affected and this also often leads to loss of agricultural products especially the perishable ones. Traders who also go to these areas for their trade are also cut off from their normal day-to-day business.

Reports said Imo State has lost about 40% of her farmlands to erosion while Anambra State has lost over 30 percent of her land, and over 40 percent of the total area of land and homes are being threatened by the menace according to the Anambra State Ministry of Environment. For Abia, experts claimed that 48% of their lands may not be recovered again while Enugu and Ebonyi may have lost about 50% of their farm lands.

Experts have warned that unless, the government at all levels in Nigeria and the stakeholders in environmental management such as States’ Ministries of Environment and Federal Ministry of Environment embrace aggressive campaign to sensitize Nigerians on the causes, impacts and problems of gully erosion, that South-East zone, may be swallowed by the huge yawning- gully erosion.