Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, on Monday, made a clarion call to the Enugu State Ministry of Works, Enugu State Emergency Management Authority (SEMA), National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), as well as the Ecological Fund, to intervene with dispatch in the landslide that cut off two communities from the rest of the state.
On September 18, 2026, following torrential rains, there was a landslide at Ugwueme and Nenwenta in Awgu Local Government Area of the state, which cut off the road leading to the communities, thereby cutting them off from the rest of the state. As a result, the trapped residents resorted to Abia State and Imo State before they could access the rest of the state.
To open the road and make it accessible to the people as well as motorists, the House called on relevant government agencies to rescue the communities from the throes of despondency.
Member of the House representing Awgu South State Constituency at the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Anthony Nwankwo, who moved a pathetic motion of public importance before the Assembly, painted a gory picture of how a family of four perished when a head tank collapsed and crushed the family to death, leaving only a survivor, a four-year-old child who was later rescued from the accident.
Nwankwo lamented that the family would have been rescued alive, but because there was no access road to the communities, rescue work became difficult. Touched by the loss of his constituents, Nwankwo therefore appealed that relevant government agencies be sought to intervene and save the communities from the disaster.
“I move that the House do write the relevant authorities to intervene to open the road leading to Ugwueme and Nenwenta,” he appealed.
Contributing to motion, members sympathised with Hon. Nwankwo and his constituency and agreed that they will write the relevant authorities for immediate and urgent intervention. The members representing Ezeagu, Nkanu East and Oji Rivers, Chima Obieze, Okey Mba and Osita Eze respectively, described the gory incident as a natural disaster and called on communities to avoid building near hills and excavating soil and stones recklessly, saying that they precipitate landslides.
They, however, called on the government to urgently come to the aid of the communities to open up the severed road.
In another development, the House screened and confirmed the appointment of the Chairman and four other members of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission, ESCSC, nominated by Gov. Peter Mbah.
The House subsequently screened the Chairman, Prof. Gabriel Ajah.
Other members include Christian Mbah, Member 1; Mrs. Stella Ekweremadu, Member 2; Mrs. Emmanuela Uzonna Ogarabe, Member 3; and Mrs. Theresa Ifeanyichukwu Onyefuzili, Member 4, respectively.
The appointees were found worthy of the appointment and were asked to take a bow without going through rigorous screening because of their sterling and intimidating Curriculum Vitae (CV). Speaking on behalf of other appointees, the chairman, Ajah, said that he would make punctuality his watchword. “We shall lead by example. We must be punctual to work,” he said.
Ajah, before his appointment, had served the state government in many capacities – 19 years as a Permanent Secretary, 14 years as a Dean of Permanent Secretaries, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and Chairman, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB, among others.
