Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said that the Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area, where former Vice President of Nigeria, the late Dr Alex Ekwueme, hailed from, may go extinct in the next 50 years as a result of erosion.
Soludo stated this at the weekend while unveiling a magnificent civic centre, built by a group of prominent sons of the community and named after the late elder statesman.
The governor said: “Since I became governor, I have held two town hall meetings with two communities about problems threatening them. The communities are Oko and Ekwulobia, and the reason is because of the erosion menace.
“We need to do what we have to do today to avoid Oko going into extinction. If we do not take this project seriously, we may not have Oko community in the next 50 to 60 years.
“This was part of the things Ekwueme fought against and which occupied his thoughts when he was alive, but it was not achieved.”
The governor said human factors aid erosion, listing sand mining and disposal of refuse in drainages as some of them.
While calling for a proper method of waste disposal, Soludo announced a ban on sand mining in the community.
“Sand miners are part of the people spoiling Oko. We had met before and agreed to stop it by forming a task force to check them. We have heard that sand mining is the only source of livelihood for some people in this community, but we will hold a meeting about it.
“From next week, I will sign an executive order banning sand mining in Oko community, and we will arrest those doing it and seize their vehicles for one year. From next week, we will start implementing the executive order,” he said.
The governor said that even if he sank Anambra’s entire resources into Oko, it would still not be enough to tackle erosion in the community. He called for partnerships with rich individuals in the community, urging them to join hands with government to keep the memories of Ekwueme alive.
He commended the indigenes of the community for building the Alex Ekwueme Civic Centre while also unveiling a statue of the former vice president.