Residents across various Abia State communities are pleading for federal and state assistance to combat severe gully erosion that threatens their homes and livelihoods. Areas including Isuikwuato, Umunneochi, Bende, Ohafia, Umuahia North, and Umuahia South report that the expanding gullies have destroyed critical infrastructure and displaced numerous families.
In Attah Emede Ibeku, a recent gully has bisected the primary access road, isolating villages and hindering access to the traditional ruler’s palace. Local leader Daniel Onwuka Ikeadighi noted that despite reports filed four years ago to the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), no meaningful remedial work has occurred. Residents report economic hardship as shops and farms are swallowed by the terrain, with some families unable to afford burial costs for deceased relatives due to destroyed businesses.
The situation is equally dire in Amamba Uzuakoli, where community leader Nelson Umezurike reported that years of local fundraising—totaling over 70 million Naira—have failed to halt the damage. The erosion has destroyed several buildings and now endangers the Methodist Church Nigeria, DODD’s Cathedral, and its attached primary school. The church minister, Very Rev. Chibuikem Joseph, expressed frustration over repeated government inspections that have yet to result in physical construction or stabilization efforts.
Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe, the Abia State Project Coordinator for NEWMAP, acknowledged that the sites are highly critical. She attributed the degradation primarily to poor drainage design and construction. According to Maduekwe, the government has completed technical assessments and is currently organizing necessary interventions to address these environmental hazards.
