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Raymond Ozoji, Awka
Sequel to the motion moved by Hon. Lawrence Chukwuwike Ezeudu of Dunukofia state constituency, calling on Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to issue an executive order prohibiting unauthorized excavation of latrite, stones and local sharp sand at the defunct Oba airport site Idemili-South and also prosecute defaulters henceforth, the state assembly has set up a special taskforce committee on environmental degradation.
The committee which will be inaugurated on Thursday this week is headed by the house committee chairman on housing and chief whip of the house, Hon. Lawrence Chukwuwike Ezeudu. The committee is expected to liaise with relevant ministries and agencies to guard against all man-made ecological issues in the state.
Ezeudu said that the Committee would produce a roadmap on how the ecosystem in Anambra would be handled henceforth even though he frowned on illegal mining activities and sand excavation going on across the state, attributing such unwholesome activities to some of the remote causes of erosion devastations in the state.
Chairman state assembly committee on environment and member of the special taskforce team, Hon. Edward Obiefuna Ibuzo, noted that 70% of lands in Anambra state were being threatened by erosion menace, stressing that erosion must be taken as serious as covid-19 pandemic.
Ibuzo opined that setting up a special taskforce on environmental degradation was a bold step taken in the right direction because he believes there is a dire need to protect the public from both natural and man-made ecological problems.
He also explained that there was need for the legislature and the executive to work in synergy to protect the environment, noting that in spite of warnings from the ministry of environment for people to stop illegal excavation at the defunct Oba airport, it continued unabated.
The lawmaker also disclosed that at a place called Trans-Nkisi in Onitsha-North 2 state constituency, there are thousands of illegal miners mining stones from the area and the act, according to him, has resulted in erosion devastation in Aroli Street where he said erosion has destroyed about 10 houses already and that Onitsha currently has about 22 erosion sites.
Speaker of the state assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor, said the special taskforce committee is to identify all locations of illegal mining, indiscriminate deforestations, siting of petrol stations in residential areas, building on drainages and water channels among other duties, emphasizing that the taskforce would swing into action immediately as well as produce periodic reports on its investigations.
