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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Residents of the Federal Housing Estate (FHE), Aba, Abia State, and its environs have sent a Save-our-Soul message to Governor Alex Otti over a gully that is ravaging the area.
The erosion, according to residents, started in 2012, and has advanced menacingly towards the estate, threatening to wash away houses and other property along its route.
It was gathered that the erosion began from a point where the drainage constructed to take storm water from the Estate to the Aba River stopped.
In the words of a resident, Kalu Odum, “The erosion started where the drainage built to take storm water from the estate to Aba River stopped. It was uncompleted, it did not get to the Aba River and from where it stopped, the erosion began.
“So, it was not surprising that at the point the drainage system stopped, it started developing a gully that has today turned into a monstrous erosion site which is seriously threatening life and property of residents of the area.”
Speaking on the erosion menace, another resident of the area, Chika Egu, said since the gully started, residents have been living in fear.
Egu opined that as the rainy season is fast approaching, residents are becoming more apprehensive due to the speed with which rainwater has been washing away the soil within the erosion site. He said the erosion a serious problem and people who live and do business within the area no longer feel safe.
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“The erosion is fast encroaching the estate and some people have started packing out of the place. If something is not done urgently this year, a different story might be told by next year. The rate with which the soil around the erosion site is washed away during rainy season has made people living within the area to become apprehensive as this year’s rainy season is setting in.
“As we speak, some of the residents whose houses are at the mercy of the erosion do not know what to do; they are no longer sleeping with their two eyes closed because of fear of the unknown”.
Houses in the area are not the only property the erosion is seriously threatening to wash away. Electricity high-tension poles and armoured cable installations conveying power from the Alaoji Power Substation in Aba to neighbouring states are on the verge of being washed away.
“You know what it means if the erosion should pull down those power installation facilities; the danger inherent will be enormous”, a resident said.
Egu said, in 2018, people of the area alerted the former member representing Aba North/Aba South in the House of Representatives, the late Ossy Prestige, who he said after inspecting the site, promised to take their plight to the National Assembly.
But, unfortunately, he died before he could actualise it.
While appealing passionately to Governor Otti for help, the residents said if something is not done urgently, too, some houses in the area would be washed away this rainy season.
