The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, Esq., has ordered the immediate sealing of an illegal dumpsite at Amaenye Ene, Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area, following an on-the-spot assessment of a high-magnitude gully erosion site in the area.
The assessment, conducted alongside the Managing Director of the Anambra State Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Agency (ANSWECCA), Engr. Ifeanyi Nwasinoke, and the Head of the Ecology Department of the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Ijeoma Onyekwelu, revealed an expanding gully exceeding 10 metres in depth, with extensive damage to adjoining drainage infrastructure.
Expressing concern over the situation, Dr. Clem Aguiyi observed that while the fragile terrain contributed to the erosion, indiscriminate human activities had aggravated the menace. He described the operation of a dumpsite at the location as illegal, noting that indiscriminate waste disposal had obstructed drainage channels, accelerated erosion, and posed serious environmental and public health risks.
The Commissioner immediately ordered the closure of the dumpsite and summoned its operator to explain why the facility was established contrary to the State’s waste management framework. He noted that the State Government has designated waste disposal facilities across the various zones for accessibility and proper environmental management, questioning the rationale behind operating an unauthorized dumpsite that not only defaced the environment but also occupied part of a major road and worsened the erosion.
Addressing residents, Dr. Clem Aguiyi stressed that environmental negligence transforms manageable challenges into major ecological disasters. He urged communities to take ownership of their environment by reporting erosion at its early stages, discouraging indiscriminate waste disposal, and protecting drainage channels from encroachment.
The Commissioner reiterated that environmental protection remains a key priority under the Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR’s fifth pillar of development; Environment and Urban Regeneration, assuring residents that the State Government would continue to implement proactive measures to address erosion while strengthening environmental awareness and enforcement.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the Vice President-General – Comrade Atu Okechukwu acknowledged that inadequate drainage design and human activities contributed to the erosion and appealed for sustained government intervention to safeguard lives and property.
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