Residents of the commercial city of Onitsha who were recently sacked from their homes by erosion have called on the state Governor, Willie Obiano, to save them further trauma by salvaging the remaining houses currently at the verge of collapse.

Reports have it that over five houses, including St. Philips Anglican Church, a school belonging to Redeemed Church in Nkisi Aroli/Obeleagu, Inland Town, as well as two-storey building may collapse anytime it rains.

The over 200 displaced residents in a Save Our Soul (SOS), message to the state governor asked President Mohammed Buhari to come to their rescue using the Ecological Fund office.

The letter reads in part: “We expected that the Onitsha North local government and the State Ministry of Environment would have come urgently to our rescue to stop further impact.

“Now, more buildings will soon go once it rains. We fear for our lives. Our hearts ache because of property of families and legacies lost.”

Mr. Arthur Mazeli who spoke on behalf of the community told reporters journalists that they had also written to the National Assembly through their representatives, Lynda Ikpeazu and Sen. Stella Odua, with no response from any of them.

He said: “Some officials of the state government including Commissioners for Envrionment and Agriculture, Commissioner of Police have visited the site and made bogus promises.

“All efforts so far made are purely communal but they are so infinitesimal to the magnitude of the scourge.”

On the question of houses being built on water ways, Mazeli explained that the drainage channel which collected water from the upper part of Inland Town collapsed as a result of ravaging flood which started eating deep into the soil.

The Priest in charge of St. Philips Anglican Church, Umu-Aroli, Rev Chinedu Agugua, said they were expecting government’s intervention even as he thanked God that no life had been lost to the erosion.

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