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More voices have joined the plea to Abia State and federal governments on the need to save Oro, an autonomous community in the state from the twin menace of environmental disaster and poor road network.
Oro, is commercial hub for cocoa and cassava production whose products service eastern industry and outside the region.
Pascal Atuma, seasoned movie director and citizen of the community again made this reiteration a few days after major stakeholders made the call in Abia.
Speaking in a short telephone interview with selected journalists, Atuma said that menace has impacted hugely on economic fortunes of the community.
Speaking as one of the subjects of the community, the movie director lamented that health workers and teachers posted to the community quickly abscond as they find it extremely difficult to cope with both challenges of erosion and bad road.
He further lamented that every effort by the community in collaboration with those in the diaspora to put the menace under check had failed.
Few days earlier,traditional ruler of the town, HRM Eze Stanley Ijenwa, addressing newsmen at erosion site in Oro Autonomous Community in Iberenta Ikwuano LGA, Abia State, said the community is a majo a major cocoa-producing community in the state.
The agrarian community with a population of about 10,000, is also among the major producers of cassava and palm oil in the country.
But gully erosion which poses existential threat to the community has been a nightmare to the locals.
Poor access road is another big headache to the locals who now said they were overwhelmed by the twin challenges of gully erosion and deplorable road.
Worried by the menace, the people have cried out both to the Federal Government and the Abia State Government for urgent intervention.
Speaking with newsmen at a threatening erosion site in the community earlier, the Traditional Ruler, HRH Eze Stanley Ijenwa, said many houses in the community could be washed away if no urgent actions were taken to avert the impending disaster.
The monarch said that erosion menace which began in the community for many decades, had gone beyond their control.
He said that the pathway leading to the community’s source of drinking water had been destroyed by erosion.
Similarly, the royal father lamented that two villages, Oboro and Nkalunta, including Iberenta Community Primary School had all been cut off by the menace.
“On our own we have done our best with the support of our people in diaspora. We are now overwhelmed. This is ecological disaster. Government should please come to our help,” he said.
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