Engr. H. O. Awaritoma-MNSE, M.ASCE, a staff of Benson Idahosa University serving at the Works Unit of the institution has been engaged by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, to proffer an engineering related solution to the Queen Ede-gulley erosion problem at Ogbeson community in Edo State.
The people of Ogbeson community and its environs have once enjoyed a peaceful habitation. However, this community with a population of over five thousand people which once enjoyed a peaceful existence, has become a shadow of itself, no thanks to the Queen Ede-gulley erosion which has rendered inhabitants of the community homeless while inflicting untold hardship on the people and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the process.
Ogbeson community stands a great risk of losing its landscape completely to the Queen Ede- gulley erosion which now has an average depth of 15 meters from the road surface and a length stretching from the Benin- Agbor road to the Ikpoba River Basin. Several attempts made by past administrations and organisations including the World Bank to save the community from this menace have unfortunately proved abortive.
It was against this backdrop that the Nigerian Society of Engineers constituted a committee made up of seasoned engineers, amongst whom is Engr. H. O. Awaritoma- MNSE, M.ASCE to proffer an engineering solution to the Edo State Government regarding the control of the Queen Ede-gulley erosion.
Other members of the committee are, Engr. R. E. Aghayedo-MNSE, Engr. F. Osaghae-MNSE, Egnr. J. M. Ejemae –MNSE and Engr. S. Isede MNSE.
The committee has since commenced work on the project.