Auchi monarch seeks FG intervention to tackle gully erosion
The Otaru of Auchi Kingdom in Etsako West Local Government, HRH Aliru Momoh, the Ikelebe III on Friday called on the Nigerian government for immediate intervention to tackle the problem of gully erosion in the community.
At a press conference organised by the the Monarch in Auchi, the royal father explained that though the gully erosion problem in Auchi is an age-old problem it has now assumed a life threatening dimension. He said efforts have been made in the past to proffer solution to the seemingly unending erosion problem, but have yielded little success.
According to the monarch: "I was informed that the World Bank had released the sum of $20m to tackle the Auchi and Ede erosion sites in Edo State. The government of Edo State at the time was given a release of $9m out of the $20m earmarked for the project.”
In this case, as in many others, no work was done either at Ede or at the Auchi erosion site.
The Otaru of Auchi explained that: “In 1999 the PTF under General Muhammadu Buhari had awarded a contract for 19 roads in Auchi to be tackled by a contractor, Dantata and Sawoe. But they could not mobilise to site, before General Olusegun Obasanjo came and dissolved the PTF. Hence the work could not be completed. Between that time and now many things had happened to the roads, and many ended up as gullies. But if the roads had been done as far back as 1999, we wouldn’t have had such huge gullies which later formed.”
The World Bank visited again sometime in 2013. He added “In 2013 the World Bank came back to the Auchi and Ede erosion sites, and we now started discussing. They also did a survey and took more photographs of the site. Finally, Setraco was given the contract of N 5.7bn to arrest the gullies.
"The Edo State government contributed 400 million Naira for the settlement of displaced persons, as well as payment for properties and so on. The contract was awarded in March, 2015 to Setraco and they started work. It is a World Bank/Edo State government project.”
All theses monies have been spent but nothing to show for it and the erosion continues to ravage the community. So, "The aim of this press conference is to alert the public especially those who care for human life to the danger posed by the gully erosion to the community because many houses have gone which resulted to lose of lives and properties.
"I am appealing to government to come to our rescue because after August break we are going to see a very devastating site because of the erosion. It is my duty to alert the public to this problem."
On his remark concerning the crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly, the monarch said that it is a political issue which requires political solution. He urged members of the public not to aggravate the problem has the Council of traditional rulers led by the Oba of Benin, the Ewuare II had already met President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the imbroglio.
At a press conference organised by the the Monarch in Auchi, the royal father explained that though the gully erosion problem in Auchi is an age-old problem it has now assumed a life threatening dimension. He said efforts have been made in the past to proffer solution to the seemingly unending erosion problem, but have yielded little success.
According to the monarch: "I was informed that the World Bank had released the sum of $20m to tackle the Auchi and Ede erosion sites in Edo State. The government of Edo State at the time was given a release of $9m out of the $20m earmarked for the project.”
In this case, as in many others, no work was done either at Ede or at the Auchi erosion site.
The Otaru of Auchi explained that: “In 1999 the PTF under General Muhammadu Buhari had awarded a contract for 19 roads in Auchi to be tackled by a contractor, Dantata and Sawoe. But they could not mobilise to site, before General Olusegun Obasanjo came and dissolved the PTF. Hence the work could not be completed. Between that time and now many things had happened to the roads, and many ended up as gullies. But if the roads had been done as far back as 1999, we wouldn’t have had such huge gullies which later formed.”
The World Bank visited again sometime in 2013. He added “In 2013 the World Bank came back to the Auchi and Ede erosion sites, and we now started discussing. They also did a survey and took more photographs of the site. Finally, Setraco was given the contract of N 5.7bn to arrest the gullies.
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| Otaru of Auchi |
"The Edo State government contributed 400 million Naira for the settlement of displaced persons, as well as payment for properties and so on. The contract was awarded in March, 2015 to Setraco and they started work. It is a World Bank/Edo State government project.”
All theses monies have been spent but nothing to show for it and the erosion continues to ravage the community. So, "The aim of this press conference is to alert the public especially those who care for human life to the danger posed by the gully erosion to the community because many houses have gone which resulted to lose of lives and properties.
"I am appealing to government to come to our rescue because after August break we are going to see a very devastating site because of the erosion. It is my duty to alert the public to this problem."
On his remark concerning the crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly, the monarch said that it is a political issue which requires political solution. He urged members of the public not to aggravate the problem has the Council of traditional rulers led by the Oba of Benin, the Ewuare II had already met President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the imbroglio.
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