The people of Imeh community in the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State may may lose their property and other natural resources worth millions of naira to gully erosion.
Sources in the area say that urgent government intervention is required in order to arrest the ugly situation which could spell serious doom.
Already, buildings that lie close to its path are threatened. It may only be a matter of time before they are eaten up by erosion.
The Port Harcourt Telegraph learnt of the development when a three – man delegation from the area called on its Publisher, Prince Ogbonna Nwuke.
Godbless Nwafor from Umuasokpu in Imeh who was part of the delegation narrated the community’s horrifying experience.
He said that their plight began in 2010 when the creepy erosion was first noticed by the natives.
“When I emerged as the CDC Chairman in 2012, I took the matter up. I reported the advent of the erosion to the State Ministry of Environment and implored them to come our aid.
“I also reported the matter to the ecological department under the Presidency. In 2016, a team from Abuja visited our area to see things for itself. That visit was followed by another in 2017.
Emanuel Anaemotu who led the delegation remarked, “If nothing is done to salvage the situation, only God knows what will happen to us. We are even more frightened about what will happen to us when the rainy season begins this year.
“The gully has become deeper and wider with every rainy season since we first experienced it in 2010.”
“We received assurances from the officials sent by the Federal Government that something would be done to ameliorate the situation. Nothing has happened to this day.
“We are begging for help. We are from an area that is oil bearing. We appeal to the State and Federal Governments to do something before our community is wiped out by erosion”, Anaemeotu pleaded.
Wilfred Uranta whose parents migrated from Opobo many years ago to Imeh to settle by the riverside lent his voice.
“Our homes are now very close to point when they would collapse. Please help us to send an SOS to the authorities before it is too late.
“Everything that we have laboured for all these years would be lost if nothing happens to check the advance of the erosion threat.”