George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Gully erosion has cut off residents of Trinity Road in  Akwakuma community, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State from the rest of the community. 

This is even as two houses collapsed due to the impact of the raging gully erosion, forcing occupants in three other houses on the verge of the deep gully to vacate for fear of being swallowed up.

When Daily Sun visited the community, yesterday, it was gathered that the landlords have expended over N4 million of their personal resources to mitigate the menace since 2017 as several appeals to the state government have gone unheeded.

It was also learnt that most tenants, living in the community, have also left over the expanding gully which has become a threat to the lives and property of residents in the area.

Chigozie Nnanna, chairman of the works committee of the Landlords Association, disclosed that they have expended over N4 million since 2017 to salvage the community but that the erosion has continued to threatening the lives and property of residents.

He appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the residents of the community.

Also, Morris Nwaeme, a  landlord, said they have been trying to tackle the menace on their own. Although, he said officials of the state government have visited the community to assess the situation.

He urged the state government to intervene to save the community from the erosion menace.

However, Commissioner for Environment, Iyke Njoku, has assured the residents that the state government would commence remediation work to salvage the rest of the community from been destroyed by the erosion menace.