By Ifeanyi Iheakanwa

The Imo state House of Assembly on Tuesday during plenary adopted two important motions on erosion menace ravaging some parts of the state.

The motions as simultaneously moved by the members representing Ideato-South state constituency, Rt. Hon. Johnson Iheonukara Duru and Onuimo state constituency, Hon. James Esile, were given a robust deliberation by members of the Assembly and eventually adopted.

Presenting the motion, Rt. Hon. Johnson Iheonukara Duru said that Umuchima community in Ideato-South had been in devastating and dreaded erosion problems and that, he said, had led to serious ecological disaster.

He disclosed that close to 80% of the community and other parts of its surroundings are almost on the verge of going into extinction as they had been systematically cut of from the base.

He continued, "categorically speaking, a significant portion of Ideato-South LGA collapses below the earth surface on a daily basis. The extent of the gully erosion devastation is so strong that lives and properties, including living organisms in Umuchima community and its environs are on the verge of extinction if immediate and urgent steps are not taken.

"As we speak, the gully erosion has decimated the residential houses, shops and the well-known Nkwo Umuchima market. The depth of the gully created  as a result of the ecological menace is over 100ft deep, spanning a distance of almost 2kilometers.

"This erosion spans from the popular Orashi River bridge to other parts of Ideato-South LGA, but it's 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 dismantled by the gully erosion."

He however called on the Governor and Government of Imo state to consider the imminence of rain this year and the possibility of the entire community being submerged and eventually go into extinction if immediate and proper actions are not taken.

In a similar development, another gully erosion site at Alaocha community in Eziama Okwe Onuimo LGA being a motion presented by the member for Onuimo state constituency, Hon. James Esile, was equally given accelerated adoption.

In an interview with him, the Onuimo-born lawmaker said Imo state had lost a great deal of revenue as the only link road connecting the people to the urban has completely cut off due to gully erosion.

He described Onuimo as the food basket of the state where goods worth millions of naira are being conveyed to the state on a daily basis, stressing the urgency of the call on the Governor who, he said, has a listening ear to proffer solution to the ecological menace ravaging his people.

He further disclosed that work is already ongoing at the erosion site but appealed that total reconstruction be done on the site rather than remedial measures as the road, according to him, is economically important to Imo state.