The leadership of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, Edo State (Edo NEWMAP) has met with the authority of the University of Benin, Benin City on the possible intervention in the 1.7km-long gully in the Ugbowo Campus of the University and part of Ekosodin, a neighbouring community.
Speaking during the visit, the State Project Coordinator of Edo NEWMAP, Dr. Tom Obaseki informed the Vice-Chancellor that the visit was at the instance of the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki following a letter from the University on the devastating effect of the gully.
Dr. Obaseki disclosed that NEWMAP had the mandate of addressing issues of environmental degradation with a view to saving lives and improving livelihoods.
The NEWMAP Project Coordinator explained that the University of Benin and part of Ekosodin lie within the Ekosodin Catchment of the 2009 Benin City Storm Water Master Plan which is 5km sq in area, adding that the visit would afford the NEWMAP delegation the opportunity to examine all the issues involved in the gully.
He expressed delight that the university was blessed with adequate and competent professionals that could partner with NEWMAP in addressing the technical requirements of the gully intervention as soon as possible.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Mrs. Lilian Salami expressed appreciation to the State Governor for the prompt response to her earlier letter informing the State Government of the threat to lives and properties posed by the gully in the Ugbowo Campus.
Prof. Salami said a number of houses on the boundary with Ekosodin were on the verge of being consumed by the gully, stressing that some staff of the university living in the area had been asked to relocate.
She appealed for urgent intervention by NEWMAP to bring to a halt the effect of the gully in the university community.
The Vice-Chancellor also reiterated her appeal to Edo State Government to assist in putting in place a barricade to restrict movement on the highway by the university main gate to ensure that the overhead bridge constructed by the State Government was put to use.
Following discussions at the meeting, a technical committee to come up with a detailed engineering design of the gully and the entire catchment has been put in place by the Vice-Chancellor. The committee is headed by a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jacob Ehiorobo.
With the Vice-Chancellor at the meeting were Deputy Vice-Chancellors, the Registrar and other principal officers of the university while the NEWMAP Project Coordinator was accompanied by the SPMU Project Engineer and Communication Team.
Members of the NEWMAP delegation were later led on an inspection visit to the gully site by Prof. Ehiorobo.
