The people of Urualla community in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, which consists of four villages like Umuago, Ezemagu, Uzoakoli and Ozu, have lived with a gully erosion site for more than three decades.
The gully erosion site measures about 1.7 kilomtres and 7.5 metres deep and begins at St. John Catholic Church to Urashi River bank, displacing many homes and disrupting economic life of the people.
It was indeed a relief and an attempt to restore ancestral homes, farmlands and social life of the people of the said community when the Governor Emeka Ihedioha, came to the rescue and ensured the immediate control of the gully erosion site in the area.
Ihedioha at the weekend flagged off N9.8 billion erosion control project in the community having paid N500 million counterpart funding required of the state and to enable the supervising agency and appointed contractor Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) and Arab Contractors respectively commence work.
The governor said that his administration paid the counterpart funding to Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), an agency of the World Bank, under the Federal Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to bring lasting solution to the problems of erosion in the state and open doors for Development partners to come into the state.
Source: https://www.independent.ng/respite-for-urualla-community-as-n9-8bn-gully-erosion-project-begins/
