Anambra: Alor Community Pleads for Help as Erosion Worsens
The people of Ide village in Ifite Quarters, Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have issued a save-our-soul (SOS) plea to the state government following an expanding gully erosion affecting homes and farmlands.
Alor is one of the communities in the state struggling with severe erosion issues. The Anambra State government has previously announced that people involved in unlawful tree felling or sand mining would face prosecution.
According to reports by journalists, a visit to the affected places shows that unlawful tree felling along the erosion site has deteriorated the issue, forcing many residents to leave their homes for fear of threatening collapse.
The community’s erosion channel, set up in 1983, has crumbled, and thieves have allegedly felled a great number of economic trees planted by residents to stop further erosion.
Mr. Chukwudi Johnson, chairman of Ide Aka na-ano village, affirmed that one Ifenna Okafor led the illegal tree felling activities. Johnson urged the Anambra State Ministry of Environment to intervene and punish those involved in what he described as “ecological crimes.”
He said, “Our plea to the government serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of ecological crimes in our community. The Anambra State government must act decisively to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity, and safeguard citizens’ well-being.”
Meanwhile, Ifenna Okafor, chairman of the Umuoburu kindred in Alor, refuted the accusations, labelling them as baseless blackmail. He claimed that the village vice chairman had instructed him to remove fallen trees blocking floodwater, which had deteriorated the erosion and destroyed farmland.
The legal counsel of the community, Mr. Kennedy Uche, criticised tree felling in erosion-prone areas, deeming it an ecological crime. He noted that those involved must face legal consequences.
The issue has been reported to the Nnobi Police Station for further probe, with the community urging quick action to tackle the environmental crisis.
