The lives and property of citizens of Amaoji Community in Umuariam, Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, are now in danger of extermination following a menacing erosion that has already cut their road into two.
Lamenting over their predicament at a briefing in his office in Port Harcourt recently, a prominent Chief in the community and member of the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), Dr Frank Anyanwu, called on relevant authorities in Imo State and beyond to come to the aid of his community before it’s too late.
“As a peace advocate and United Nations peace ambassador, I am using this media chat to call upon the relevant authorities, the Imo State Government authorities, the Obowo Local Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, to come to the plight of my community, Amaoji in Umuariam, Obowo Local Government Area. The community has been totally cut off by erosion and other natural disasters. It’s now a kind of desert; many houses have been taken away by erosion. If nothing is done urgently, it might result in disastrous consequences such as: many houses will collapse; in fact, the whole community will be wiped away by erosion. That is the real calamity that my people are facing . As a peace ambassador, I am pleading (for help),” he said.
Dr Anyanwu disclosed that as an individual, he had done a lot of temporary interventions to mitigate the problem, but now needs support from the government and other well-meaning organisations and agencies to save his community from sinking.
“I have done a lot to ameliorate the situation but it is really getting complicated. I need government help. Government should come immediately. It is now a clarion call. It is a cry that this community, at this particular time, we are at the verge of being eradicated from human history because 80% of the community land has been taken away by the erosion. There is no road to enter the community. That is the plight of the community as I’m talking to you now.”
The international peace advocate further appealed to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to come and assist the Amaoji Community, whose environment, he said, is being threatened by erosion.
Meanwhile, when asked how his people living outside the community are going to travel home for the yuletide celebrations, Anyanwu, an international businessman, said he had arranged for temporary repairs of the road to make it accessible during this period, adding that he had spent over N5 million for repair work on the road in recent years.
