Residents of Umuchime, Amuzukwu Ibeku in Umuahia North LGA where devastating landslide is eroding buildings,have been advised by the Abia State Government to as a matter of urgency relocate from the area to avert possible disaster.
The Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Solomon Ogunji gave the advise when he visited the site following an SOS sent by the community to the federal and state governments to come to their rescue over the life threatening landslide ravaging the area.
Recall that National Ambassador reporter who also visited the scene of the landslide had observed that houses along the area have caved into the landslide which has rendered their occupants homeless while others buildings are seriously under threat.
The devastating landslide which has caused loss of properties and kept the people in perpetual fear, nearly took the lives of a nursing mother and her baby who escaped death by whiskers.
Dr Ogunjiwho described the incident as an unfortunate natural disaster, credited it to climate change.
He directed the Engineers from Department of Food & Erosion Control in the Ministry to do an all round assessment on the incident assuring that the Ministry of Environment would soon make a categorical and professional statement about what has happened.
“I thought that this landslide has been caused as a result of flow of water or flood, but the description I got from those living in the area says it happens with noise, eruption with water and smoke. It is something that can be described to be slide, in the neighborhood of an earthquake.”
“Preliminary now, I would advise our people and people from this place to relocate, because since it happens when it is not raining, it can happen in the night,” he stated.
