Okoroduru Community Demands Government Intervention Over Erosion Menace
…As Monarch Commends High Chief Chuba Ohams
By Anselem Anokwute
Tension and palpable fear have gripped the Okoroduru-Ekwe Autonomous community in Isu Local Government Area of Imo State following a distress call by its traditional ruler, HRH Eze Engr. Eze Nwoke (Igweohazurume II), over a devastating erosion menace that worsened during the last rainy season.
Speaking with senior journalists in his palace on January 2, 2026, the royal father revealed that the community narrowly escaped a major disaster as deep gully erosion developed along the fringe of the Njaba River through Orie-Mkpu. He said the erosion has severely degraded the area and devasted the only exit and entrance route into the community, a stretch to Njaba River bank along the Owerri–Orlu Road.
Igweohazurume II expressed shock over the extent of damage already caused by the erosion, particularly to Ebenator Ekwe Community Primary School and its surrounding environment.
According to the monarch, the community is on the verge of losing its only primary school, noting that parts of the school structure, including rooftops, have been blown off. “Our primary school where our children go to learn is almost gone. We have no option but to plan for relocation to a safer area to avert an impending calamity,” he lamented.
The traditional ruler called on the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, whom he described as the “Transformer of the New Imo State,” to urgently intervene in the deplorable state of the community road and the worsening gully erosion. He appealed for immediate environmental intervention to rescue the Okoroduru-Ekwe Autonomous Community from further devastation.
Responding to questions on whether there were early warning signs before the crisis escalated, Eze Nwoke disclosed that the community had long been grappling with multiple challenges, some of which were mitigated through the efforts of concerned and well-meaning individuals. However, he stressed that the current magnitude of destruction now requires urgent government attention.
The monarch also commended High Chief Chuba Ohams for his proactive interventions and commitment to community development. He described the initiatives of the Ohams Global Foundation, as laudable, noting that many children from Ekwe and other communities in Isu Local Government Area have benefited from scholarships, education support, skill acquisition, empowerment programmes, and other community-based development projects.
