**Date**: September 3, 2023
*Onitsha, Nigeria*:
A substantial erosion problem along the Oba axis of the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway is posing a significant threat to property valued at billions of naira. The erosion has already cut through the Owerri-bound carriageway of the Federal Highway and is now encroaching on the second lane. The affected area includes a filling station and a nearby hotel.
The Anambra State government has taken action to secure the affected section of the road by barricading it. However, this has shifted the burden to the second lane, which is now at risk of collapsing under the pressure.
One notable landmark in the vicinity, the Rojenny Stadium and Games Village, faces the potential of collapse if urgent measures are not taken to address the erosion menace. The stadium boasts a football pitch with a seating capacity of approximately 30,000 spectators.
Concerned residents and stakeholders have called upon the Federal government to intervene promptly and tackle the issue before it escalates into a full-blown ecological disaster.
Mr. Johny Obinwa, a facility consultant at Rojenny Stadium, provided insight into the extent of the threat. He revealed that over 350 residential buildings, vast undeveloped land, a filling station, and a two-star hotel are all under the threat of the gully erosion. The facilities within Rojenny Stadium have already incurred millions in damages due to heavy flash floods originating from surrounding communities during rainfall.
According to Obinwa, the floodwater flows from Ichi, Nnobi, Ojoto, and Uruagu-Oba communities in Idemili South Local Government Area, exacerbated by the inadequate size of gutters and water channels.
The situation is dire, with perimeter walls around the stadium, parts of spectators’ stands, tennis and handball courts already collapsing, while the tracks are waterlogged and deteriorating.
Mrs. Amaka Obi, the Transition Committee Chairman of Idemili South Local Government Area, visited the site and acknowledged that the state government had made efforts to control the erosion menace, but the situation had not improved. The controls implemented so far, including the construction of water channels three months ago, have failed due to the heavy flooding.
She also mentioned that an attempt to fill the gully with refuse during its initial stages was met with resistance from local youths, who imposed a charge of N5,000 per trip as a condition for allowing it.
