Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has called on the federal government to come to the aid of the state in her efforts to tackle cases of gully erosion ravaging the state.
The Governor made the call when he received in audience, the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Sampson Uche Ogah, at the Executive Chamber of Government House, Umuahia.
Governor Ikpeazu who sought for the release of ecological funds for the state to tackle the erosion menace, added that the state through collaboration with Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, has tackled three major erosion sites with a completed 2.5 kilometer road project.
The Governor lamented that the problem with mining in Abia is the process of licensing and lack of consideration of the health implications on the people noting that Abia is blessed with a lot of mineral resources that can be adequately harnessed by ministry of mines and steel in collaboration with the state. He therefore called for proper documentation of miners in the state to allow for a better synergy between them and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
While expressing confidence in the ability of the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development to deliver in his ministry, the Governor congratulated him for his appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Earlier, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah had called on well meaning Abians to come together to build a better Abia, noting that “Politics is over. It’s time for governance. As an Abia son, I must support the Governor and his team for the good of the people of the State and as a Minister, I must ensure that issues concerning Abia State receive topmost attention at the Federal Executive Council. We must work together as Governor and as Minister to find ways to collaborate for the benefit of our people”, he said.
The Minister assured that he will not disappoint miners in the state as his ministry is poised to collaborate with them to achieve the best, promising that the erosion sites in the state especially the one at Isuikwuato will receive the required attention. He also reiterated his commitment to adequate collaboration with the state government in the continued development of Abia State.
