Governor of Abia State Alex Otti has promised to take immediate action to arrest the gully erosion menace along Ovom Street Aba which cuts the road into two and created a long valley; collapsed many buildings and led to the destruction of properties within the area.
Otti who inspected the erosion site on Sunday, August 4, after a church service at Christ Ascension Church, at Long John Avenue, Ogbor-Hill, Aba, directed the General Manager, Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) to see him for immediate mobilisation of experienced engineers and contractors to find a lasting solution to the problem.
Addressing the press, he said: “It’s very unfortunate that erosion has dealt a deadly blow in this area and the way it is going, if it is not controlled immediately it will not only affect all the buildings around here but also the opposite side of the road where we are building people's road and we should be completing that road any moment from now".
“So, we need to come very quickly and I have given the instruction to the General Manager of Greater Aba Development Agency and he should be meeting me later this evening so that we’ll start solving the problem in the next few weeks".
“We are starting immediately, by the time we engage the engineers and contractors because it is not going to be done by direct labour. We need people who understand what to do. But I believe that it is something that we should deal with before the end of this year".
Governor Otti disclosed that he had instructed the General Manager of the Greater Aba Development Authority to evacuate those living around there. “I had asked him to evacuate everybody that is living around here. So, if you look around these houses, there is nobody in there. Those who are very close here, I had already gotten them evacuated. So, I hope nobody goes back to some of these buildings because it’s very dangerous”, he stated.
Earlier at the Christ Ascension Church, Otti said that he just came to worship and thanked the Church for their support. He assured the congregation of continued good governance as he promised them during electioneering which they are already experiencing since he assumed office.
The State Chief Executive told the joyful congregation that he got involved in politics to become a blessing to others as God has already blessed him. “People like us don’t normally come out to contest or show interest in politics because even if it sounded immodest, I was not looking for anything. But at some point, when God has blessed you, you need to make yourself available to be a blessing to other people. For me, that is the essence of politics”, Governor Otti remarked.
The presiding Pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Chika Mba led the Church in a fervent prayer for the Governor, his entourage and the State.
Igbo Leaders Thank South East For Shunning Protest
Governor Otti used the opportunity to thank the congregation as he did at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church a day earlier for heeding his plea of not joining the ongoing hardship protests in different parts of the country that have resulted in the deaths of some Nigerians and the destruction of property.
He reaffirmed his acknowledgement of people’s fundamental right to peaceful protest to express their grievances over unfavourable situations but maintained that there are several ways to protest without necessarily pouring out on the streets which hoodlums take advantage of most times to unleash violence on the people.
