Residents of Ogbeozoma Community in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, have raised the alarm over the devastating impact of gully erosion, warning that lives, homes, businesses and critical infrastructure are under imminent threat.
Speaking in separate interviews with journalists on Thursday, the residents lamented that the advancing gully has continued to erode building foundations, destroy access roads and force the abandonment of properties, leaving many families living in fear of a looming disaster.
They said the erosion has significantly reduced the value of homes, schools, hotels, recreational centres and other investments in the area, while many residents and business owners have either relocated or scaled down operations due to safety concerns.
Mrs. Augustina Agba, a trader and resident of the community, described the situation as heartbreaking, noting that many homeowners who invested their life savings in the area now face uncertainty.
“My husband, a civil servant, took a loan to build our house and is still repaying it, yet today the property is under serious threat from gully erosion. We have nowhere else to go. We are appealing to both the state and federal governments to come to our aid before tragedy strikes,” she said.
Agba recalled that residents had made several efforts to contain the erosion, but the challenge had grown beyond the community’s capacity to manage.
Also speaking, cement dealer Mr. Tony Nnwabueze said economic activities in the area had virtually ground to a halt as ongoing building projects were abandoned due to poor access caused by the erosion.
“The gully has swallowed the middle of the road for over three kilometres, making it impossible for residents to drive into their homes. The situation is even more dangerous during medical emergencies because access is severely restricted,” he lamented.
A landlord, Mr. Johnson Omoni, described the development as both tragic and life-threatening, noting that residents now rely on makeshift wooden bridges to access their homes.
“Every house now has a plank bridge across the gully. Whenever it rains, the force of the floodwaters threatens to wash away the bridges and anyone crossing them. We once had a mother and child swept away, but they were rescued in time,” he said.
According to Omoni, the gully is more than 10 feet deep and large enough to swallow heavy-duty vehicles, making it a constant danger to residents.
Mr Samson Kenechi, a member of the Landlords Association in the community, said they had held several meetings with government officials and NEWMAP representatives, who assured them that intervention plans were underway.
While expressing optimism, he urged both the federal and state governments to expedite action to prevent further destruction and safeguard lives and property in the community.
By; Sam Erhunmwunsee, Radio Nigeria Asaba.
