Danger is lurking at the family house of former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, as it is now at the mecy of a very bad gully that cuts across Nanka in Aguata Local Government Area and Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The menace, which had rendered hundreds of residents of the community homeless, has eaten deep into the Ekweme family land and if no prevent measure is taken, the house may end up being swallowed by the erosion.

Apart from Ekwueme’s family house, five more buildings are also affected by the gully erosion, while 22 families whose houses are under serious threat by the gully erosion have relocated to safer places.

The ugly situation in Oko forced the Umuada Oko (daughters of Oko) married within and outside the area to embark on a peaceful demonstration to attract the Federal Government’s attention to the two things they said are presently giving them sleepless nights.

They named the gully erosion, which they say is set to wipe out the community, and their alleged marginalisation and falling academic standards at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, as the major issues.

The protest march, yesterday, took off from Oko Civic Centre, stopping briefly at the gate of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, where they prayed before leaving for the palace of the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe (Prof.) Laz Ekwueme, who was not in the state as at the time of the protest.

The angry women held a prayer rally before leaving for the house of the President General of the community, Hon. Cyprain Nwanmuo, whom they persuaded to join them to visit the gully erosion site, before they finally retired to the Civic Centre to conclude the rally.

The women lamented that successive governments at all levels have neglected their cry for intervention to arrest the gully erosion, right from the time it was still at a manageable stage.

Addressing journalists at the erosion site directly behind Ekwueme’s family house, Mrs. Rhoda Ezechimere said that they now live in fear in the community due to the threats posed by the gully erosion that is fast taking over the community.

Her words: “These are the two things that are troubling our minds, unsettling us and making us sad, which led to this peaceful demonstration and prayer session for God’s intervention to our present situation.

“We do not sleep these days if it is raining. The gully erosion has eaten deep into our land and when the land is caving in due to the gully erosion, it goes down in hectares. Respective officials of various levels of government visit the gully erosion site, without offering solutions as promised.

“We are also not happy with marginalisation of Oko people in the Federal Polytechnics by the present management of the institution.”

The duo of Mrs. Gladys Anasoro and Mrs. Beatrice Nwankwo who spoke on behalf of Umuada Oko lamented the extent of the devastation the gully erosion has caused in the community as well as the alleged marginalisation of their people at the Federal Polytechnic. They both appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to come urgently intervene.

According to Mrs. Nwankwo, “If the Federal Government does not intervene through the Ecological Fund to address this gully erosion that crept into our community and has already led to the destruction of many houses and relocation of more than 22 families, our town will soon go into extinction.”

On her part, Mrs. Anasoro said that they embarked on the peaceful protest because gully erosion is about to chase them out of their home land.

“Our houses are being swept by gully erosion and some families are relocating, there is tension in Oko and the Federal Government institution that is supposed to be giving us happiness has become a source of unhappiness because of the management style of the people at the helm of affairs. The Umuada Oko is unanimously calling on President Buhari and the governor of Anambra State to come to our rescue,” she said.

Addressing the women, the President General of the community, Hon. Nwanmuo, said Oko has five villages, all of which are being devastated by serious gully erosion, particularly Ezioko and Eziaba villages. He stressed that the palliative measures they have severally applied have been washed away by flood channeled to Oko from neighbouring towns.

The President General said: “Every community has its own peculiar problems, ranging from roads, health facilities, among others, but we only ask for erosion control. That is not asking for too much.

“Due Process Office has visited the site; Senator Uche Ekwunife visited as Chairman, Ecological Committee of House of Representatives, when she was there; former Governor Peter Obi and his successor Chief Willie Obiano visited the erosion site, but nothing has been done to address the problem. This is one of the two reasons that made the women to protest.”

Hon. Nwanmuo pointed out that the Oko community has for the past two years been fighting injustice meted out to two of their sons and daughters by the management of Oko Polytechnic, which he said is using “intimidation, harassment and denial of certain rights to silence them from knowing what happens in the institution.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Oko Polytechnic Public Relations Officer, (PRO) Mr. Obini, proved abortive.

•Photo shows one of Anambra’s numerous gully erosion sites.

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