By TINA TIMOTHY

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has called on the Abia state and federal governments to urgently come to the rescue of indigenes and residents of Ebem Ohafia in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.

FENRAD, in a statement on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Aba, Abia State, and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, and Head Corporate Accountability and Human Rights Enforcement, Barr. Akande Femisi, cried out after its assessment of erosion sites in Ebem Ohafia which the group described as having the capacity of “leaving devastating impacts” if not contained now.

“FENRAD said conducted on-the-spot assessment of erosion sites at the affected environs in Ebem Ohafia, adding that the disaster, if not contained now, has the capacity of not only overrunning a larger part of Ebem Ohafia but leaving devastating impacts on its entire landscape. “It is both a sorrow and sorry situation that the erosion now has affected the palace and residence of the traditional/paramount ruler of Ebem Ohafia,” the statement revealed.

FENRAD lamented that erosion menace was beyond the people, their traditional or paramount ruler of Ebem Ohafie which hosts lots of critical federal establishments, including the 14 Brigade and as well as the 145 Battalion of the Nigeria Army (NA), known generally as the third-largest military base in Nigeria.

The group said checking the erosion disaster was beyond the resources of the Ebem community, hence the urgent need for intervention of the federal and state authorities.

“FENRAD by this release also reaches out to: Abia State Government under His Excellency Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); The office on Ecological Fund under the Presidency, members representing Ohafia North and South state constituencies; member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Honourable Uko Nkole; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North and other stakeholders in the polity to see to the end of this ugly threat even if it requires leveraging the ecological fund,” the group appealed.