The Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that his State is in partnership with the World Bank to arrest the gully erosion ravaging Queen Ede Secondary School area, Ogbeson quarters, Benin City. He made this statement when conducting a team of World Bank officials on an inspection of the gully.
The Governor also revealed that his government has already set aside the sum of N500 million to address the erosion menace.
Comrade Oshiomhole said that the expatriates who were invited from Washington have come to see what was happening so that they could present an appropriate design to the government. "The people are coming to carry out a full study; you need a proper study before you can start to address the problem. There is no overnight solution"; he remarked.
He said that in addition to the five hundred million naira set aside by the State, "We are expecting that the World Bank would also give additional money."
While speaking further, Oshiomhole asserted that he did not come to the erosion site to see whether there was problem; rather, he had come to show the World Bank officials the extent of the gully erosion.
Addressing the leader of the World Bank team, Mr. Benoit Bosquet, who is also the Sector Manager, Environment, World Bank, Washington, the Governor said, "With your support and proper design, we can find a lasting solution." The Governor appealed to the visiting World Bank officials to help fix the problem, pointing out that a lot of communities, farmlands and homes were all gone due to the erosion problem. He explained that with more and more communities being affected, the cost of solving the problem would keep increasing.
While responding, Mr. Benoit Bosquet assured that work would begin immediately after their studies and screening. "In addition, we expect that next week, Edo would receive the first instalment of preparation advance and finally the cash will start flowing from Washington to Benin City."
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Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria
Erosion in that part of Nigeria is really nothing to write home about so we can't blame them if they want to tackle it a.s.a.p