Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has disclosed that the state government has secured a N5.7 billion facility from the World Bank to tackle the erosion problem at Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of the State.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Auchi-Jattu- Afashio-Ikabigbo-Ojio road on Thursday, Oshiomhole said, “Erosion has been a problem that has been threatening the existence of Auchi as a community. Not only has erosion destroyed the farmlands, erosion has also destroyed a number of roads and even killed a number of our people.
“A series of petitions have been written to the Federal Government for intervention. I know on an occasion, the Royal Highness, the Otaru of Auchi, decided to lead the Auchi community on a protest march and he demonstrated around this area, hoping that somebody would listen.
“There was an attempt to address the erosion problem, but whereas the people of Auchi wanted a solution, somebody wanted to monetize the problem. They gave the job to a contractor who knows next to nothing and he brought a tractor which he himself could not reclaim from the valleys of the erosion.
“I am happy to announce to your Royal Highness that we have redesigned and carried out a thorough study of the Auchi erosion challenge. We got internationally-recognized consultants to carry out the study and they have come up with a design which will provide a lasting solution to the problem of flooding in Auchi and on the basis of this study, we have forwarded it to Washington for them to look at it and to confirm if the design is appropriate.
“We have done our estimate and carried out a bill of engineering measurement. We advertised the project on the basis of those designs, contractors have bided, and rather than giving this thing to Adams Nigeria Limited as some other people would have done, we have awarded the contract to a competent company, Setraco Nigeria Limited.
“We have forwarded the results of these reports to Washington. You may ask why Washington? It is because we didn’t have any federal help from the ecological funds. But we are determined that the poverty of our pockets can be overcome with the resourcefulness of our brains. We have secured facilities of N5.7 billion to address the problem of Auchi erosion.”
