By Jonathan Lois, Abuja
Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North and Umuahia South Federal Constituency in Abia State, Rep. Sam Onuigbo, has urgd the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) Limited, Melo Kyari, to urgently look into the erosion menace bedeviling Umunwanwa community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state.
He said the situation is so bad that it has exposed NNPC pipelines that pass through the community.
He said the situation is a ticking time bomb with the potential to cause mass fatalities at any moment.
Addressing the Kyari during a joint session of the investigative committee on the nation’s dwindling oil resources at the House of Representatives, Rep. Onuigbo reminded the GMD of his communication to the NNPC wherein he requested that they take immediate action to address the erosion issue in Umunwanwa in order to avert a calamity awaiting to happen.
The Honourable Member expressed regret that despite his motions on the issue in the 8th and 9th Assembly and the House’s mandate to the NNPC and PPMC to take urgent action to carry out erosion control works on the site in order to cover the exposed pipelines, the NNPC had done nothing.
Responding, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari, promised to look into the issue so as to avoid both human and economic losses in the area.
He expressed regret that nothing had been done earlier.
Recall that over the years, Rep. Onuigbo had attracted remedial works on the Umunwanwa erosion site through the Anambra-Imo Basin Development Authority, and had also funded the production of survey and engineering plans for the site.
He also submitted same to the Ecological Fund Office, with the hope of ensuring that a total erosion control work is done to permanently fix the situation.
