Over 10 homes have been swallowed by massive gully erosion in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, leaving scores of residents internally displaced and posing an escalating threat to communities across the area.

?In response to the growing crisis, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, led a delegation from the Ecological Project Office—including Director of Soil, Erosion, and Flood Control, B'aba Bomoi—to inspect affected sites in Uzuakoli and Ozuitem.

Residents report that destroyed homes, collapsed streets, and ruined farmlands continue to increase weekly due to relentless rainfall.

The expanding gullies are now threatening numerous residences, including that of Mr. Ikenna Ariwodo, Special Assistant on State Affairs in the Office of the Deputy Speaker.

?Describing the crisis as a matter of urgent public importance, Kalu called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ecological Project Office for immediate intervention.

The Deputy Speaker, who represents the Bende Federal Constituency, noted that while he previously submitted an application to the Ecological Office through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the gully has expanded to over four to five kilometers—far exceeding the original scope and requiring a much larger federal response.

He emphasized that the financial resources needed to fix the damage are now roughly twenty times his initial estimate.

?Kalu highlighted that ecological disasters severely affect the South East region and argued that resolving a crisis of this magnitude goes beyond the financial capacity of the state government, necessitating a strong federal presence and potential state-federal partnerships.

Drawing parallels to a successful intervention in Nkpa during the Buhari administration following a motion he moved in June 2019, Kalu expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration—which recently established the South East Development Commission (SEDC) and two tertiary institutions in Bende—would step in to address the erosion menace in Uzuakoli and Ozuitem.

?Director B'aba Bomoi echoed these concerns during the joint site visit, describing the situation as life-threatening and noting that encroachment has already claimed vast swathes of vital farmland. The inspection follows a recent mass demonstration by local women demanding swift government relief. The Ecological Project Office technical team is currently preparing a fresh assessment report to guide the Federal Government's official response.