Erosion Cuts Off Oji–Awgu Federal Road, Onwuegbu Seeks Urgent FG Intervention

Vehicular movement along the Oji–Awgu Federal Road has been disrupted after severe erosion washed away a section of the road following Friday night's heavy rainfall.

The affected corridor serves as a major link between communities in Oji River and Awgu Local Government Areas of Enugu State.

Leading an emergency inspection of the damaged site on Saturday, the member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Anayo Onwuegbu, described the development as unfortunate and alarming.

He noted that the road section was completely cut off by erosion barely 48 hours after he raised concerns over the growing threat posed by the gully along the route.

"This situation requires immediate attention. The Federal Ministry of Works should treat it as an emergency to restore connectivity and ease the hardship being faced by residents and road users," Onwuegbu said.

The lawmaker called for urgent reconstruction works to prevent further deterioration and restore access to affected communities.

Also speaking during the inspection, the Chairman of Oji River Local Government Area, Greg Anyaegbudike, commended Onwuegbu for his swift response and efforts to draw federal attention to the situation.

He urged the lawmaker to sustain engagement with the Federal Ministry of Works to secure approval for emergency repairs.

The Federal Controller of Works in Enugu State, Smart Emesim, attributed the erosion damage to improperly terminated culvert outlets, which accelerated water flow and undermined the road embankment.

"The drainage structures responsible for this damage were not included in the original road construction contract," Emesim explained.

He assured residents that the Federal Ministry of Works would commence the necessary processes to address the damage as a matter of urgency.

The inspection team also assessed four other locations along the Oji–Awgu road corridor considered vulnerable to advancing erosion.

Among those on the inspection tour were Osita Eze, representing Oji River State Constituency, and Uche Okolo, alongside other community and political leaders.

The delegation pledged to work collectively toward securing urgent intervention and long-term solutions to safeguard the road and ensure the uninterrupted movement of people and goods across the affected communities.

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