Posted by 
Gombe is fast growing since its creation 26 years ago because of its increasing population and booming businesses. The state is also one of the most peaceful in the north eastern part of the country. However, despite lack of crises and much security threats as obtained in some states, residents of the state live with panic and anxiety due to the escalation of erosion in many communities within the state capital and beyond without serious and emergency measures by the state government to control it.
Over the years, hundreds of houses were destroyed, thousands of owners were displaced and turned into tenants or refugees in safer areas. The state government has confirmed that there are 200 active gullies in the state.
Finding by LEADERSHIP uncovered that the worst affected places are old areas of Gombe town which has history. They are occupied by real citizens who now stay with palpable fear especially during the rainy seasons as they watch their houses washed away by gullies with no hope of succour from the government and relevant authorities.
Some of the highly vulnerable communities include; Kwarin Misau, Bomala, Madaki north, Madaki south, Barunde, Pantami, Yelenguruza etc all in the state capital.
For instance, in Kwarin Misau, a community which existed for over 60 years, over 300 houses were destructed by the eroding soil in the past couple of years. A bridge that links the community with places like BCGA, Barunde, Bye pass, Bogo and Bank road has collapsed this year by erosion thereby disconnecting the communities and making transportation difficult for the residents and impassable for motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Head of the community Waziri Dahiru Adamu told our correspondent that following the collapse of the bridge recently, a girl was killed as she sank in water in the gully.
He said the bridge which is a road linking the area to many other places firstly broke down last year due to erosion adding that members of the community repaired it partly through community team work. He said it was being washed away continuously and nothing was done to repair it by government in spite of the population of the area that has about 15, 000 houses.
“The bridge cut down completely this year as a result of the escalation of gullies which claimed the life of a girl that was trying to cross it”.
According to him, the erosion also ‘swept’ about 100 houses this year, displacing the owners whom he claimed have now turned to be tenants in other areas even as others who could not pay rent fees seek refuge in the houses of neighbours.
“The collapse of the road is affecting us negatively as it causes us hardship. It also led to deaths. Recently, a girl fell and drowned in the water while crossing the bridge. Her dead body floated in the huge gully and was found at Kudum. The collapsed bridge is posing danger to our children. Many fell into it while passing by it and were rescued by the people”. He said.
While noting that the state government does not pay attention to controlling the problem of erosion in the area despite their many pleas, the community leader explained that so far 300 houses were destructed by erosion in the past years with this year being the worst.
“We are always praying fervently that the government’s attention will be drawn to this disaster and calamity that has befallen us so it will bring us succour”. He said.
In Bomala, residents revealed that erosion has continued to escalate every passing day which changes landlords into tenants in another houses. They uncovered that aside displacing the residents, the eroding lands turn into hills, valleys and gradually make the community inaccessible.
Head of the community Aliyu Jauro Bomala explained that the place is a route to over 30 villages. He said people pass through it to their towns, villages and hamlets but lamented that the routes are almost not passable now.
Jauro claimed that at times patients being evacuated to hospital die on their way when it rains as a result of getting stuck in the gully created by erosion. This is just as he stated that members of the community now resorted to dumping refuse in the gullies as the Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA) that promised to be bringing refuse to fill the eroded holes was yet to redeem its pledge.
“People from the entire villages that use the route came together and met the agency to plead for its intervention. This route is very important, in the whole of Gombe State, there is no place where number of travellers pass through like here.
“What is worrisome is that the erosion is escalating to town. We request that a bridge and dual road should be constructed from here up to Garko and link with bye pass”. He suggested.
Another member of the community Lawan Siraka alias “Baba Lawan’ decried that the threat posed by erosion in the community is frightening. He said people who have cars find it hard to drive to and from the area even as he noted that residents do not sleep when it rains because of the fear of collapse of building on them while asleep.
“Government should bring emergency intervention here. Even if it will not build road, it should construct a bridge or culverts to save the lives of the people residing here. Many have fled the community, we want to leave too but we don’t have money to get another houses elsewhere. If you are selling your house here, nobody will be willing to purchase it because of the environmental hazards. Of course, who will want to buy a house close to a gully? He cried out.
He opined that the state government should give priority to tackling erosion in the state decrying that instead of bringing succour to the areas ravaged by erosion, government takes projects to where they are not desperately needed.
In Madaki and Barunde areas, residents lamented that despite their location in the heart of the city, there is no respite in the communities as erosion consumes buildings everyday. According to the ward head of Madaki south Madaki Amale disclosed that erosion has engulfed at least 2, 000 houses in the community, many shops and a major church of the area.
“We have been living with this problem of erosion for over 20 years now. We tabled complaints to all relevant authorities but to no avail. This year alone, 50 houses were destructed. We reported to Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA), ministry of works etc but nothing has been done.
“We lost over 20, 000 people from the area who fled to safer places. We are appealing to the state governor to come and see the place himself with a view to doing the needful”. He entreated.
His counterpart of Madaki north, Tukur Marafa said in some places, people use wastes as part of measures to control erosion by disposing them in the gullies but said that the practice should not be encouraged because it can cause the spread of diseases. He said there is need for the government to control the erosion to stop it from extending.
In Barunde, the ward head Jauro Magaji Barunde who claimed that his father was the one who created the community 35 years ago before Gombe became a state, said about 25 houses were destroyed this year by erosion in the community.
He cried out that his palace is on the verge of being swept away in the near future asking government to focus attention to the threat posed by erosion in the area. “My house which used to have 70 to 80 houses between it and the gully before, now have only five houses around it. This means, if the gully extends a bit, it will be affected too”.
Our correspondent reports that erosion is a problem not only in Gombe State capital but in most of the local government areas of the state.
As the citizens groan over the devastating effects of erosion without immediate response from the state government, the spokesman to Governor Inuwa Yahaya Isma’ila Uba Misilli told our correspondent that the government has come up with some strategies to combat environmental degradation in a document that encapsulated the state’s 10-year development plan which will also cover erosion control, deforestation and flood control.
“Gombe state has also introduced the Gombe Goes Green and Environmental Restoration Programme which involves the planting of four million trees in four years, the gully erosion control project in collaboration with the World Bank funded Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project- already the Gombe State University- Malam Inna Kagarawal erosion control project has been completed- and the establishment of 22, 000 hectares of woodlot in some local government areas including Kaltungo, Dukku, Balanga, Nafada, Funakaye, Biliri and Shongom.
“Other interventions are the rehabilitation and upgrading of existing nurseries at Bogo and Kwadom that will provide maximum support to NEWMAP and the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources to ensure successful execution of gully erosion control projects in the state.
“Gombe has over 200 active gullies and the government is not resting on its oars despite competing demands. Government is aware of the menace of the gullies and is doing everything to address them”. The governor’s spokesperson retorted.
Source: Leadership
