House of Reps okays contract as erosion ravages Kogi community

With several houses already swallowed by erosion, the House of Representatives has enjoined the authorities to tackle the menace of gully erosion bedevilling Ankpa local council of Kogi State.

Adopting a motion initiated by Mr. Hassan Omale, the lawmakers at the plenary presided by Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated its committee on Environment and Habitat to liaise with the federal ministry of Environment in order to include contracts for the construction of gully to control erosion in any supplementary budget that required for the 2016 budget.

Urging the Ecological Fund Office to take measures aimed at controlling the menace, the lawmakers enjoined the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to communities affected by the menace.

Omale who represents Ankpa, Omala, Olamaboro federal constituency of Kogi state while moving the motion remarked drew the attention of his colleagues to the fact that the first rain of the year had washed away almost the entire community of Olobojo, rendering residents homeless.

The lawmaker who claimed that the unfortunate situation had resulted in the loss of lives , properties and farmlands worth billions of naira pleaded for the intervention of the House to save the situation from degenerating into a disaster to the entire residents of Ankpa council of Kogi state.

He noted: “I am concerned that if no drastic action is taken to ameliorate the condition of the people before the rain gets heavier, the erosion could wash away the entire communities especially Olubojo, Sabangari, Angwa, Owele, and the suburbs of Ajobe, Bangede Ofugo, Inye and other parts of the local government area.”