Senate urges NEMA to relocate Imo communities from where lives have been lost due to gullies, floodwaters

The senate on Thursday urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently implement a community-resettlement plan to relocate residents from high-risk areas where there has been continuous loss of lives and property occasioned by gullies and floodwaters.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West) titled “Urgent need to carry out remedial work on Obodoukwu, Urualla, Akokwa, Umumaisiaku, Umuchima and Umueshi Gully Erosion sites in Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs of Imo State.”

Izunaso noted that gullies and floodwaters have become treacherous, leading to loss of human lives, property worth over N4 billion naira and inflicted severe injuries. 

He said 12 communities in Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs of Imo State were affected by gullies and floodwaters, which he said were beyond the powers of Imo State government. 

He, therefore, called on the federal government to urgently undertake a remedial work to mitigate the risks and prevent further loss of lives, property and environmental degradation in the affected areas. 

“By taking immediate action and working together, we can protect lives, preserve our community’s wellbeing, and build a safer and more resilient future,” Izunaso said. 

The Senate, accordingly, urged the Ecological Fund Office (EFO) and NEMA to jointly and urgently engage relevant experts to conduct the assessment and implement measures, such as slope stabilization, gabion installations, terracing, re-vegetation, and construction of retaining walls to prevent further losses and minimize the risks to nearby infrastructure, communities, LGAs and states. 

It also called on CFO and NEMA to establish community-based initiatives to enhance resilience, such as emergency response teams, evacuation plans, and the formation of local task forces focused on disaster management; outlining the achieved milestones, challenges encountered, and plans for future actions.