Posted by House members have requested that the federal government declare an environmental emergency in Edo State.
According to NAN, this happened after a resolution put forth by Representative Anamero Dekeri (PDP-Edo) was approved at plenary on Thursday.
Dekeri, who proposed the motion, raised concerns about the worrisome rate of environmental degradation in the Etsako Federal Constituency.
He claimed that landslides and gully erosion brought about by heavy rains had destroyed homes and farms and made other areas inhospitable.
The congressman reported that a rainfall in Okpella had washed away the bridge that connected the Iddo-Okugbe and Awuyemi communities.
“Electric poles and communication routes connecting parts of the state to other parts of the country are not left out,” he said.
Dekeri reported widespread gully erosion in the state’s Etsako West Local Government Area, which endangers both people and property.
Erosion, he added, had also severed the Federal Highway between Auchi and Agenebode.
This is making it impossible for cars to drive from the north to the south of the country along this route.
He remarked, “We must put an end to this disgraceful decline in environmental quality in the Etsako Federal Constituency, Edo.”
The House called on the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to repair the broken power lines and restore service to the areas that were cut off.
The legislators also requested that the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) rebuild the damaged bridge immediately to ensure that motorists and commuters have access to all parts of the country.
They also requested that the Ministry of Works pressure the road project’s contractor to get back to work immediately.
The House also requested that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation send assistance supplies to the impacted areas.
Rep. Benjamin Kalu, the House’s Deputy Speaker, issued a rule requiring the Ecological Fund, FERMA, NEMA, and REA committees to monitor compliance and provide a report within four weeks.