The Senate has urged the federal government to direct the federal ministry of works and housing to begin repairs and reconstruction of damaged portions of the Onitsha-Owerri federal road.

It urged the ministry to begin repairs on the sections between Upper Iweka Roundabout in Onitsha, in Idemili South Local Government of Anambra state that spanned 6km.

The Senate resolutions followed the consideration and adoption of a motion at the plenary on Tuesday.

The motion, titled “Urgent Need to Control the Erosion Ravaging Onitsha-Oba Section of the Onitsha-Owerri Federal Highway in Anambra State,” was sponsored by Victor Umeh (LP Anambra).

Mr Umeh, while presenting his motion, decried the devastating effects of the ravaging gully erosion and landslide on Onitsha-Owerri Federal Road, between electrical parts market and Metallurgical Training Institute, Obosi in Idemili North local government, and Oba Junction, near Rojenny games village along Onitsha-Owerri Federal Highway.

He said one lane of the affected road had been cut off by the gully erosion at the Oba junction.

He also added that the second lane was under serious threat of imminent collapse while buildings and factories within the vicinity were on the verge of collapsing into the gully.

He expressed concern that the erosion and landslide were creating traffic gridlock along the sections of the Onitsha-Owerri highways.

Mr Umeh further expressed concern over the menace of the gully erosion, stating that if the landslide was not urgently controlled, those sections of the road would completely cave in.

This, he said, is leading to a total disconnection of the highway with severe consequences and cutting off vehicular movement to Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River states.

He said the Onitsha -Owerri Federal Highway was a gateway to business activities and other relationships between the Western states and South-East and South-South states.

He added that the magnitude of the menace was beyond the control of the state government.

The Senate, further in its resolution, urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to ensure regular surveillance of federal highways to identify and nip erosion threats to federal roads in the bud.

It also urged the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to join in the detection and prevention of erosion menace on the highways.

The Senate urged the federal ministry of works, environment and the Ecological Fund Office to also urgently fix the erosion challenges in Obom in Abia state.

It further urged the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) to evolve workable measures to solve the erosion challenges in the country.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the Senate could do a holistic analysis of erosion in the country and bring the report to the attention of relevant authorities to proffer a solution.

(NAN)