Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has stated that the Oko group in Orumba North Native Authorities Space, the place former Vice President of Nigeria, the late Dr Alex Ekwueme, hailed from, could go extinct within the subsequent 50 years because of erosion.
Soludo acknowledged this on the weekend whereas unveiling a powerful civic centre, constructed by a bunch of distinguished sons of the group and named after the late elder statesman.
The governor stated: “Since I turned governor, I’ve held two city corridor conferences with two communities about issues threatening them. The communities are Oko and Ekwulobia, and the reason being due to the erosion menace.
“We have to do what we’ve to do as we speak to keep away from Oko going into extinction. If we don’t take this challenge critically, we could not have Oko group within the subsequent 50 to 60 years.
“This was a part of the issues Ekwueme fought towards and which occupied his ideas when he was alive, however it was not achieved.”
The governor stated human elements help erosion, itemizing sand mining and disposal of refuse in drainages as a few of them.
Whereas calling for a correct technique of waste disposal, Soludo introduced a ban on sand mining locally.
“Sand miners are a part of the individuals spoiling Oko. We had met earlier than and agreed to cease it by forming a activity power to verify them. We have now heard that sand mining is the one supply of livelihood for some individuals on this group, however we’ll maintain a gathering about it.
“From subsequent week, I’ll signal an government order banning sand mining in Oko group, and we’ll arrest these doing it and seize their autos for one 12 months. From subsequent week, we’ll begin implementing the chief order,” he stated.
The governor stated that even when he sank Anambra’s total assets into Oko, it will nonetheless not be sufficient to deal with erosion locally. He known as for partnerships with wealthy people locally, urging them to affix palms with authorities to maintain the reminiscences of Ekwueme alive.
He recommended the indigenes of the group for constructing the Alex Ekwueme Civic Centre whereas additionally unveiling a statue of the previous vice chairman.