IMO ASSEMBLY MOVES TO RESCUE ALAOCHA COMMUNITY IN EZIAMA OKWE OF ONUIMO LGA AND UMUCHIMA COMMUNITY AND OTHERS PARTS OF IDEATO SOUTH LGA FROM EROSION MENACE

 *IMO ASSEMBLY MOVES TO RESCUE ALAOCHA COMMUNITY IN EZIAMA OKWE OF ONUIMO LGA AND UMUCHIMA COMMUNITY AND OTHERS PARTS OF IDEATO SOUTH LGA FROM EROSION MENACE*

Worried by the devastating activities  of erosion menace in Onuimo and Ideato-South Local Government Areas, the Imo State House Of Assembly has moved to rescue the situation and save the communities from extinction.

This followed two separate  Motions raised by Hon Chief James Uba Esile, Member Representing Onuimo State Constituency And Hon Engr Johnson Duru, Member Representing Ideato South State Constituency.  While Hon Chief James Uba Esile moved the Motion to rescue Alaocha Community in Onuimo local government area, Hon Engr Johnson Duru Moved the Motion of Urgent Intervention on the devastating gully erosion in Umuchima community and other parts of Ideato South local government area.

For Hon Chief James Uba Esile, he said that Alaocha Community in Onuimo local government area has a major link road that cut across several other communities in the local government, other local government areas  in the state and  other neighbouring states, like Anambra. He further stated that the people of Alaocha community  who are predominantly farmers and who make a living from their farm and agro  produce, use the link road to export their produce to other local government areas in the state and outside the state. However, he noted that Agriculture and other socio-economic activities in the community have suffered terrible and devastating set back as a result of frightening erosion menace that has made life unbearable, making it impossible for the people in the community to move their farm produce to other places to sell, due to how   erosion has devastatingly taken and eaten more than half of the road, and leaving a very small and narrow lane to road users. This according to Hon James Uba Esile has instilled fears on the people that if nothing is done urgently, the remaining  narrow lane would be eaten up by the threatening erosion and finally cut off the community. This he lamented because  the major link road in Alaocha community in Eziama Okwe leads to Umucheke Okwe and Umuchiri Eziama Okwe, which are three different political wards in Onuimo  local, and further leads to Umuduru -Egbeahuru town of the local government area, which is the fourth political ward in the local government area.  In tears, Hon James Uba Esile further lamented that the major link road leads to Umuago and Umuobom communities in Ideato North local government area.

In further explaining how terrible the major link road has become, Hon Chief James Esile said that road users who may not be aware of the threatening condition of the road, devasted by erosion, would ultimately  lose control and  fall into the waiting arms of the ditch, especially, while driving at night, thereby resulting to loss of lives and properties.

He therefore called on his Honourable colleagues to support the Motion, calling on the State Government  to come to the rescue.

The Motion which was seconded by Hon Barrister Chisom Ojukwu, Member Representing Nkwerre State Constituency, was co-sponsored by Hon Engr Bernard Ozoemelam, Hon Dr Ikenna Ihezuo And Hon Barrister Chisom Ojukwu.

Members who spoke in favour of the Motion includes:

* The Chief Whip and Member Representing Oru-East State Constituency, Hon Chigozie Nwaneri.

* Hon Barrister Chisom Ojukwu, Member Representing Nkwerre State Constituency.

* Hon Engr Gilbert Chiedozie Nwosu, Member Representing Oguta  State Constituency.

* Hon.  Engr Bernard Ozoemelam,  Member Representing Ehime Mbano State Constituency.

* Hon Engr Sir Innocent Ikechukwu Ikpamezie, Member Representing Mbaitoli State Constituency.

In their submissions, they commended the mover of the motion, explaining that  erosion menace has become a challenge facing  most  parts  of the state. They therefore  urged him to draw the attention of the Federal lawmakers in his constituency to also come to the rescue, by  drawing the attention of Federal Government and its agencies.

Having made substantial contribution to the Motion, the Speaker of Imo State House Of Assembly, represented by the Deputy Speaker (Rt Honourable Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu, who presided over plenary, put it to vote and it was overwhelmingly endorsed. Thereafter, Mr Speaker Ruled as follows :

 *Be It Resolved By This Honourable House To Urge The Governor of Imo State,  His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma to the Ministry of  Works And the Ministry of Environment to visit the site of this Erosion Menace, seek ways to remedy the situation and provide them with the necessary logistics support to carry out remedial work in the first instance, while seeking for permanent solution to save the situation.*

For  Hon Engr Johnson Duru, who moved the second Motion urging speedy  intervention on the devastating gully erosion in Umuchima community and other parts of Ideato South local government area : he lamented about the ecological situation in  Umuchima community, saying that the community is almost cut off from the rest of other communities, while economic crops are destroyed, with several houses swallowed up by the gully erosion, while the popular Nkwo Umuchima market is currently under threat of being swallowed up .

 *".......... the depth of the gully erosion created as a result of the ecological  menace is over 100ft deep, spanning a distance of almost 2 kilometers. The erosion span from the popular Urashi River bridge (which is no longer in  existence) to other parts of Ideato South local government area, but it is  more annihilating in Umuchima community. Farmlands have been completely washed away, including graves and tombs of the dead. It is sad to note that the House of a former Chief Judge of the High Court, who is an indigene of the community, was completely dismantled by the gully erosion "*, Hon Johnson Duru cried out.

While pleading for urgent intervention and calling on the House  to pay a visit to the erosion site, he said  the rest of the community live in fear and uncertainty, and  that  economic activities between Imo and Anambra States through the  Orlu- Umuchima-Akokwa down to Uga in Anambra State is under threat. Hon Johnson further said that the Senator  Representing Orlu zone in the Senate, Distinguished Senator Osita Izunaso had earlier made presentation of the Motion, and therefore called for immediate palliative measure , before the Federal Government would run to the rescue.  He however commended Governor Hope Uzodimma for creating a by-pass to soften and ameliorate  the sufferings of the people of the community. 

The Motion which was seconded by Hon Okey Udeze, Member Representing Ideato North State was co-sponsored by Hon Dominic Ezerioha, Hon Chigozie Nwaneri,  Rt Hon Chyna Iwuanyanwu, Hon Okey Udeze, Hon Francis Agabige and Hon Chisom Ojukwu.

Members who spoke in favour of the Motion includes : 

* Hon Dr Henry Agbasonu, Member Representing Ezinihitte Mbaise State Constituency.

* Hon Okey Udeze, Member Representing Ideato North State Constituency.

Hon Dominic Ezerioha, Member Representing Oru-west State Constituency.

* Hon Barrister Chisom Ojukwu, Member Representing Nkwerre State Constituency.

* Hon Chief Johnleoba Iheoha, Member Representing Ikeduru State Constituency.

Nevertheless, the only dissenting opinion came from the Deputy Minority leader, Rt Hon Chief Clinton Amadi (Alaomajijiji), who queried the Billions of Naira expended on the  same erosion project and other places in Ideato Nation between 2011 and 2019 by a previous government led by an Ideato Indigene. According to the Member Representing Owerri Municipal Constituency, *"A lot of Billions of Naira was Appropriated for roads and erosion in Ideato Nation.* *We want to know what happened to those Billions of Naira. Who were the contractors that  executed the contracts?* 

Before Mr Speaker put it to vote, for which he hit the Gavel in support of the Majority who supported the Motion,  he declared, *"we are here to speak for our people".*  

Thereafter, Mr Speaker Ruled as follows : 

1. *"Be It Resolved by this Honourable House to urge His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma to consider the imminence of rain this year and the possibility of the entire community going into extinction if immediate and proper actions are not taken".* 

2. *"Be It Resolved to write  a letter to the NEMA, FERMA and Federal Ministry Of Works to include the said road among roads that need emergency attention in the first quarter of this year, 2024".* 

Earlier, Mr Speaker had announced slight changes in the composition of the Chairmanship of  House Committees, as follows :

1.Hon Johnson Iheonukara Duru : Chairman, House Committee on Religion, Pilgrimage and Ethics and Privileges.

2. Hon Princewill Amuchie :

Chairman, House Committee on Power and Water Resources.

3. Hon Clinton Amadi :

Chairman, House Committee on Digital Economy and E-Government.

4. Hon Kingsley Emeka Ozurumba : 

Chairman, House Committee on Labour, Productivity, Civil Service / Pension.

The House Adjourned Sitting to the 20th of February 2024.

 *Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha* 

06/02/2024