Erosion control: Anambra releases N500m counter-part fund

Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, who stated this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, also noted that the issue of erosion is coming at an alarming state; hence the need to seek for assistance from different quarters.  
Obiano said the N500m is to be used purely for erosion control and that currently the Anambra State government with the Federal Ministry of Environment and the World Bank are working on 11 erosion sites and eight more will be added, which requires money to be executed.
He said, “We’ve put in our initial counterpart contribution and we are looking forward to the other parties meeting their own side of the deal. We really would like to do things before the rain starts because that is the only way we can stem this tide early.”
He said that there is need to sensitize the people, adding that some laws have been put in place to stop some of the habits that cause environmental degradation in the state such as bush burning, abrupt termination of gutter/drainage system, felling of trees and cutting main roads or paths to lay cables or pipes.
“The law will help in the very near future to begin to steer the tide in our favour with respect to having a firm control on erosion management in the state,” he said.
The minister, in response, said the deposit of N500m by the Anambra State government was to partner with the federal government in the NEWMAP project that will be launched soon to check the challenges of erosion in the South-east especially in Anambra State.
While urging other states government to do same, Mallam said in 2013, the ministry had carried out 17 projects in erosion control in Anambra State and 18 projects have been earmarked in 2014.
“I want to assure you that the Federal Ministry of Environment will continue to support you. The issue of bush burning and tree felling is affecting us seriously and we have to stop cutting down of trees, keep the environment clean, of which the responsibility lies on all Nigerians. So we must join hands to avoid these entire catastrophes that come with it,” she said.