ABIA: Family Of Late Justice Ogbonnaya Calls For Help As Landslide Takes Over Property In Bende

ABIA: Family Of Late Justice Ogbonnaya Calls For Help As Landslide Takes Over Property In Bende

The family members of late Engineer Justice Okezie Ogbonnaya, have been forced to vacate their property almost at the verge of being swallowed up entirely by landslide erosion in UmuEze Amamba community, Uzuakoli, in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

Late Ogbonnaya was a director of public utilities in Abia state and he died in active service in 2010, leaving behind the property for his family.

Speaking to ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER, Mr Chinedum James Ogbonnaya, son of late Ogbonnaya, lamented that they have been forced to pack out of the building left behind by his father, as the landslide had already swallowed the fence and almost taking up the building itself.

He regretted that efforts made by his mother, Mrs Ikwumma Ogbonnaya to get help has been futile as they are yet to get any positive response after filling an intervention form with Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) two years ago when the slide had not gotten to the building.

“his grave is in that compound. It will be very terrible that erosion will get to where he was laid to rest. we had already reached out even before it got to our building; this is not what an individual can do; it’s a very tasking project” he said.

James Ogbonnaya solicits for help from Abia state government, the Federal government and well meaning Nigerians to come to their aid so as not to lose their property as the situation has gone beyond individual control.

“am pleading for help; save the building;if there is any way to channel the water to a better direction” he pleaded.

Mrs Ogbonnaya has now developed High Blood Pressure owing to the trauma she faces with havig to lose her husband’s property and having no place of her own to live in with her children and husband’s siblings.

Investigation made by ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER shows that majority of people in Uzuakoli have either lost their buildings or farmlands owing to landslide. Late Ogbonnaya’s building is currently the most affected in UmuEze Amamba community.

The people had resorted to help themselves with local palliative work to curb the erosion, but the rains has now washed them all off, leaving the community members helpless.