Speaking with SaharaReporters in Igbo during the protest, the Vice President of Umuchima autonomous community, Mr. Chimezie Ugochukwu, said, “We gathered here today crying because in Umuchima, the road that leads from Orlu to Akaokwa in Ideato nation, there is a very big gully.
The residents of Umuchima Community in the Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State on Friday staged a peaceful protest, lamenting that the gully erosion ravaging the community has rendered many of them homeless.
The protesters displayed placards with various inscriptions including “Gully erosion, Umuchima is homeless in Ideato South, Imo State,” “We are refugees in our state. We lost our houses and other properties to gully erosion,” “Gully erosion: families rendered homeless in Umuchima, Ideato South, Imo State. Presidency, take note,” and “We are homeless. Pray for us. We lost houses and other properties.”
The protesters, who also had a large poster of various photos showing the eroded community, destroyed houses and roads, said they had written to the state government several times for urgent intervention but despite their outcry for help, Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration had not taken any action to come to their rescue.
Speaking with SaharaReporters in Igbo during the protest, the Vice President of Umuchima autonomous community, Mr. Chimezie Ugochukwu, said, “We gathered here today crying because in Umuchima, the road that leads from Orlu to Akaokwa in Ideato nation, there is a very big gully.
“Since 2021, Umuchima community and the entire Ideato South have been writing to the government, both the state and the federal governments. The federal house and the Senate.
“We have taken our complaint to the Ecological department in Abuja concerning the problem in Umuchima but despite all our cries all this while, the government did not come to our aid.
Peoplesmind