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The Traditional Ruler of Umuenyere Akoliufu Alayi Autonomous Community- HRM Eze(Pst) Ignatius Iheke Uche noted that the people of Alayi in Bende LGA of Abia State woke up to the gory and terrifying sight of a gully erosion on Saturday, 13th September, 2025 after a downpour the previous day.
This erosion site is just beside the popular Afia Ozara market located in Umuenyere Akoliufu Alayi Autonomous Community. The erosion which started like a minor crack evolved into a scary gully erosion after the downpour. The same road serves a connecting road between Alayi and Item Communities in Bende LGA.
The road also serves as a transit for commercial activities especially for farmers to transport their farm products to the market. The Afia Ozara market houses traders and customers both from Umuahia, Uzuakoli, Isuikwato, Ugwueke, Igbere, Item, Ohafia. Abiriba, etc.
Therefore, this terrifying gully erosion, which has cut the road into two, wouldn’t only affect private commuters who use the road on a daily basis, but it will increase the transportation cost for farmers who are mostly peasant farmers thereby leading to inflation of food prices in Alayi.
In addition, given that residents of Alayi are comprised of youthful age, who rely more on commercial transportation for daily sustenance, this erosion would also limit their coverage and daily revenue.
The few who are willing to use the other adjoining roads are going to increase their fares exorbitantly because a journey that should have ordinarily taken 2-4mins, is going to be stretched to 10-15mins. The state of the adjoining roads is also horrible which may likely lead to breaking down of their motorbikes and buses.
The Traditional Ruler, who visited the erosion site in the company of the Umuenyere Development Union President General- Chief Eke James, Chief Alfred Chukwu Uguru and other community stakeholders has decried the horrible state of the erosion.
He said: “It has become imperative to call on our federal representatives and our senator- Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu and the Abia State Government led by Dr Alex Otti to deploy urgent and immediate repairs of the road to ameliorate the plight of the commuters in general and Alayi people in particular.
These repairs wouldn’t only stabilize prices of food in the area, but would also check the spate of criminalities in the area and loss of properties. It could also help in blocking the leakages to the revenues accruable to the government via daily market levy paid by the traders.”
He also commended the efforts made by the Alayi Development Union led by Engr Chris Eke, the councilor representing Amankalu/Akoliufu Ward- Hon Okechukwu Okoronkwo, the lawmaker representing Bende State constituency Hon Dr Nnamdi C. Ibekwe and the Bende LGA chairman – Dr Bassey Uwabunkeonye and other community stakeholders who also visited the site for on-the-spot assessment.
