A former Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra, Mr Arinze Awogu, has urged the Federal Government to help the Anambra Government to combat the devastating ecological challenges in the area.
Awogu, who is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for the Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in upcoming 2023 polls, said there was a need for the Federal Government to complement the efforts of the Anambra Government in tackling the erosion menace.
He made the appeal at the inauguration of the “Hon. Arinzechukwu Awogu Campaign Council“ in Atani on Sunday.
Awogu said the ecological problems of Ogbaru, which had all its 16 communities along the bank of River Niger, included annual flooding and water body encroachment which had displaced families and farmlands permanently.
He said a substantial portion of the ecological fund should be channelled to address the threat in the same way it was being used to intervene in places facing gully erosion and drought .
Awogu promised that if elected he would bring the issues to the front burner and ensure it got the attention and response it deserved from the Federal Government.
“Substantial amount of Ogbaru landscape has been lost to erosion locally called “Iboo” and this is worse than gully erosion.
“When you look towards the River Niger, a visitor would conclude that what is being seen afar is the water body and that is not true.
“Half of what you are seeing used to be people’s houses, farmland, historical sites, public schools, magistrate court, post office, ancient monuments that have been lost to water erosion and the threat is continuing,“ he said.
Awogu praised Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for giving the environmental and existential challenges of Ogbaru people a priority attention but noted that the job was enormous that Anambra government would not be able to shoulder it alone.
According to him, the job of transforming Ogbaru should not be left to the governor alone.
“I will complement the efforts of the governor if I become your representative in the Federal House of Representatives.
“The ecological threats and other challenges we face from Okpoko to Ogwu-Ikpele are enormous. Our representation at the Green Chamber will give a voice to how the challenges adversely impact on the lives of Ogbaru people,” he said.
The Campaign Council was inaugurated by Mr Chinedu Nwoye, the Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Protocol to Soludo.
According to Nwoye, Awogu is a man of integrity whose passion for the wellbeing of the people is second to none.
He urged the Campaign Council to ensure victory for Awogu, pointing out that he was the hope of an assured future for Ogbaru Constituency.
The Campaign Council has Mr Onochie Obiora, a clergyman and former chairman of APGA in Ogbaru LGA, as its chairman .
The event was attended by government functionaries, House of Assembly members and candidates of APGA,including a former First Lady, Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, who is the candidate for Anambra North Senatorial District. (NAN)