The Afara Community in Umuahia North Local Government stand the risk of being cut off from the rest of the state capital city by a raving gully erosion on the big drainage system close to Aba Road Umuahia.
Also, on the risk of being possibly submerged include the popular Africot hotels on Aba Road, shops and Trinity Road close to Uchenna Bus-Stop, Umuahia.
The gully erosion which has already pulled down one of the shops close to the big gutter on Trinity/Aba Road, may equally consumed the roads, if nothing urgent was done. Already, part of the Trinity Road which leads to Afara from Uchenna Bus stop, Aba Road have caved in and may equally swallow the road and other surrounding buildings.
Reports by our Reporter who visited the site, showed that the buildings and road are under serious threat of collapse from the raving gully erosion.
The Reporter stated that the palliative provided on the big gutter close to Africot hotels wall and Trinity Road have been washed away by the flood exposing the area to possibly being submerged into the gully erosion. One of the residents of the area, Barr. Udochukwu Ogaranya expressed great concern that if remedial measures were not immediately put in place, some of the shops close to the big water channel stand the possibility of being washed away or submerged into the gully.
Barr. Udochukwu Ogaranye one of the residents of the area
Barr Ogaranya said that the ever busy Trinity Road are under serious threat as the erosion has eaten some part of it and may be cut off any time soon. He said that one of the shops caved in few days ago after a torrential rainfall and has caused much damage to business owners. Barr. Ogaranya said that the residents have in the past carried out palliative work to curtail the gully but that the ravaging erosion continues to expand.
According to him, the Enugu Electricity Company foresaw the danger some months ago and relocated one of their electricity poles which was close to the shop that got sank and this saved the public around the area from being thrown into darkness.
He appealed to the trail blazing governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti to kindly come to the aid of the community and business owners in area being threatened by flood.
Barr. Ogaranya appealed that palliative actions should be carried out on the gully before full rehabilitation to safeguard the buildings and the roads including the popular Aba Road.
Also speaking, a building materials dealer, Samuel Uchechukwu Okoro and generator repairer Mr. Ugwumba Samuel said that the Trinity Road always got flooded and overflow into the road and their shops whenever it rains.
They said that due to the high volume of flood on the big gutter, if nothing urgent was not done, the gully erosion would wreck more drainage both on individuals and public properties in the area. The residents appealed to the state governor to urgently intervene on the situation to safe the road and buildings on the mercy of been collapse.
