The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has signalled it is ready to begin work on erosion sites in Anambra State, according to Daily Post Nigeria. The move follows a Senate motion by Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central Senatorial District, calling for federal intervention in areas where erosion has brought down houses and severed major roads.
Umeh disclosed the development at a press briefing in Awka on Thursday, Daily Post Nigeria reports. He said the ecological fund office wrote to him earlier this week asking him to furnish engineering drawings and cost estimates for the affected sites so the agency could review them and plan its response.
The senator said he had replied the following day, pushing back on the request. In his view, sourcing drawings and awarding the contract are responsibilities of the ecological fund office, not of a lawmaker. He said he reminded the agency that the Senate has already passed a resolution directing it to act, and that he asked for an inspection schedule so he could accompany officials to the erosion sites.
Why it matters
Erosion is a long-running problem across Nigeria's South East, and Anambra has been among the hardest-hit states. Umeh's September tour took him to Obosi, Ogidi, Awka and other communities, where he inspected damage that had caused buildings to collapse and cut through key roads, according to Daily Post Nigeria.
The senator's push for a formal disaster designation reflects the scale of the threat. He has asked the federal government to declare Anambra Central an ecological disaster zone, a step that would open the door to structured federal funding rather than ad hoc repairs. Whether the ecological fund office's willingness translates into actual construction is the question residents are now watching.
A request for drawings, and a senator's refusal
The exchange between Umeh and the ecological fund office centres on procedure. The agency, writing through the SGF's office, wanted the senator to supply the technical documentation and cost figures that would underpin any intervention. Umeh declined, arguing that procuring engineering services and awarding the construction contract fall within the agency's mandate.
He also pressed for a joint site visit, saying he is prepared to travel with officials to the erosion sites. The back-and-forth suggests that while the federal government has acknowledged the problem, the practical steps toward shoring up affected communities remain unsettled.
Daily Post Nigeria reports that Umeh raised the erosion issue on the Senate floor after his inspection tour, seeking federal recognition of the damage. His latest comments indicate that the motion has at least drawn a response from the agency that controls ecological funds.
Scholarship programme continues without constituency funding
At the same briefing, Umeh pointed to his scholarship scheme as another form of support for his constituents. He said the programme covers all seven local government areas in his district and has run consistently for three years, with costs reaching tens of millions of naira.
According to Daily Post Nigeria, the senator said fees for the coming academic session alone come to roughly N75 million. He noted that federal funding for senators' constituency projects has not been released, and that government disbursements can be slow, but said he remains committed to paying the scholarships regardless.
The combination of the erosion campaign and the scholarship scheme forms the core of Umeh's account of his legislative work. On erosion, the immediate test is whether the ecological fund office follows through with its own procurement process and schedules the inspection the senator has requested.
