Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014—5
*Gully erosion sites in the community
ENUGU government to urgently mandate the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA or any relevant agency responsible for the maintenance of federal roads to come to their rescue to prevent loss of lives on the road, which she said, has become a deathtrap. The badly damaged portion of the road is just at the junction of the road leading to the palace of the community’s traditional ruler, Igwe Callistus Njeze and just a few meters away from the residence of the former Minister of Aviation and current Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze. In a chat with South East Voice at the gully site, another native of Umuavulu Abor, Mr. Matthew Ngwu, said the erosion threat on the affected portion of the road began about two years ago but it became more devastating during the current rainy season. According to him, officials of FERMA had carried out minor erosion control works but materials used were completely washed away by flood thereby worsening the condition of the road. He said: “We are helpless, as you can see, the erosion has eaten very deep into the road and with more downpours the road might not survive this rainy season. The federal government should within. move in quickly and do One of the natives, a teacher, something before our village who identified herself as Mrs. is cut into two. Okoro, alerted South East “Already some buildings Voice on the phone about the around the gully site are danger on the road last week, being threatened and we can expressing fears that a major do little or nothing to stop the disaster might occur in the menace. The State village if urgent steps were Government can also do not taken to check the erosion. something about this road if She said that people driving the Federal Government is on the road especially at delaying action because it is night were taking great risk our people from many villages as vehicles with poor visibility along this road that will suffer could crash into the gully. more if the road is finally cut She urged the federal off.
Gully erosion threatens 9th Mile-Opi Nsukka old road *As Abor community cries out By TONY EDIKE
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NUGU—MOTORISTS plying the old 9th Mile Corner-Opi Nsukka Federal Highway are now doing so with extra caution due to threatening gully erosion which has almost cut off some portions of the road. Apart from deep potholes at the centre of the road that connects several communities in Udi, Igbo-Etiti and Nsukka local government areas, major gully erosion has eaten deep
into the road at a spot in Umuavulu village, Abor community in Udi council. Some vehicles and motorcycles were said to have fallen into the deep gully which is threatening to divide the Umuavulu village and render the entire road impassable. But the natives said that no life has been lost at the spot as some concerned people have continued to place some barricades at the edge of the gully to warn motorists of the danger
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