Residents of the Umuchima community in Ideato South Local Government Area, Imo State, staged a peaceful protest on Friday, highlighting the severe impact of gully erosion that has left many homeless.
The protestors carried placards with messages such as “Gully erosion, Umuchima is homeless in Ideato South, Imo State,” and “We are refugees in our state. We lost our houses and other properties to gully erosion.” They expressed their frustration over the lack of response from the state government.
Vice President of Umuchima autonomous community, Mr. Chimezie Ugochukwu, spoke during the protest. He said, "We gathered here today crying because in Umuchima, the road that leads from Orlu to Akaokwa in Ideato nation, there is a very big gully."
Since 2021, the community has been appealing to both state and federal governments for help, sending complaints to the federal house, the Senate, and the Ecological department in Abuja. Despite these efforts, the government has yet to respond. Mr. Ugochukwu noted that over 50 buildings have been destroyed, and the community can no longer manage the situation alone. He urged the government to intervene and fix the erosion problem to prevent further destruction.
The protesters displayed a large poster with photos of the eroded areas, destroyed houses, and damaged roads to emphasize the severity of the issue. They pleaded for immediate government action to save their community. "This is behind KO Mbadiwe University. We are here for the government to see that we no longer have where we live. Our properties have been destroyed. Let the federal and state government help us and fix this erosion to save us," Mr. Ugochukwu implored.
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