Abia’s Oro community seeks govt help over environmental, road challenges

Stakeholders in Oro Autonomous Community in the Iberenta Ikwuano local government area of Abia State have appealed to both the state and federal governments on the need to save the community from the twin menaces of environmental disaster and poor road network.

Oro, a commercial hub for cocoa and cassava production in the state, has services in the eastern industry and outside the region.

Speaking with journalists, a member of the community and a seasoned movie director, Mr Pascal Atuma, reiterated the call a few days after major stakeholders did the same in Abia State, saying that the menace had negatively impacted the economic fortunes of the community.

He said that two villages, namely Oboro and Nkalunta, including Iberenta Community Primary School, had all been cut off by the menace.

The movie director lamented that health workers and teachers posted to the community absconded as they found it difficult to cope with both the challenges of erosion and bad roads.

He also lamented that efforts by the community, in collaboration with those in the diaspora, to put the menace under check had failed.

Also, the traditional ruler of the town, HRM Eze Stanley Ijenwa, addressing newsmen at the erosion site in Oro Autonomous Community in Iberenta Ikwuano LGA, said the community is a major cocoa-producing community in the state.

“The agrarian community, with a population of about 10,000, is also among the major producers of cassava and palm oil in the country.

“But gully erosion, which poses an existential threat to the community, has been a nightmare to the locals.

Poor access roads are another big headache for the locals, who now say they are overwhelmed by the gully erosion and deplorable roads.

Worried by the menace, the people have cried out both to the Federal Government and the Abia State Government for urgent intervention.

The traditional ruler, who said that many houses in the community could be washed away if no urgent actions were taken to avert the impending disaster, added that the erosion menace, which began in the community for many decades, had gone beyond their control.

He said that the pathway leading to the community’s source of drinking water had been destroyed by erosion.

“On our own, we have done our best with the support of our people in the diaspora. We are now overwhelmed. This is an ecological disaster. The government should please come to our help,” he said.

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