Minister seeks erosion studies in varsities
TOWARDS addressing the alarming rate of flood and gully erosion devastating South East zone, the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril has called on the Anambra State University to, as a matter of priority, establish a National Centre for Erosion Studies.
Jibril made the call at the weekend in Awka, the Anambra State capital, during a visit to the state, where he inspected some completed and on-going erosioncontrol projects being executed by his Ministry, the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) and the Ecological Fund Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Accompanied by the National Project Co-ordinator of NEWMAP, Salish Dahiru, the Minister expressed serious concern where in several locations, monstrous gully erosion had ravaged communities, resulting in lost of lives, devastated homes and severely dislocated socio-economic activities of the enterprising people of the state and some parts of the South East.
He emphasized that such a situation would not be allowed to continue by the Buhari administration as it is committed to saving ecosystems, lives and prosperity as well as enhancing the living conditions of the people.
Jibril disclosed that, “President Muhammadu Buhari is particularly concern about the environmental devastation in the South East.”
According to him, it was in compliance with the Presidential directive that the Federal government enhanced the activities of its three windows on erosion control in the country, namely, the Ecological Fund offfice in the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Environment and NEWMAP, to explore additional strategies of addressing all areas of concern.
The Minister called for concerted efforts and synergy among various stakeholders such as Federal, States and Local governments , with emphasis on town planners and structural engineers, as well as health, land and environment professionals together with the benefiting communities, to address the menace.