By Akpan Udo-Inyang
CALABAR -A landslide, triggered by days of persistent rainfall in Calabar, has wreaked havoc around the Anansa Junction corridor between West African People’s Institute (WAPI)Junction and the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory.
It has cut off sections of roads, submerging residential buildings and damaging public infrastructure.
Our reporter, gathered that the extent of the destruction has prompted officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to visit the community for an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas.
Reacting to the recent environmental disaster, the Obutong community in Calabar Municipality of Cross River, has called on the
federal government, development partners and humanitarian organisations to urgently intervene in their current environmental disaster.
Speaking with Journalists in Calabar, the acting chairman of the Obutong Traditional Council, Iso Archibong, said the environmental disaster was beyond the state’s capacity.
Also speaking, the supervisor for environment in Calabar Municipality, Mr. Eso Archibong, appealed to the Federal Government, donor agencies and humanitarian organisations to provide immediate support to affected residents.
Meanwhile, the Acting Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Godwin Effiong, has urged residents to remain peaceful and cooperate with emergency responders.
He visited the affected community alongside the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Pius Edet; the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Mensah Offiong, a lawyer and other government officials, assuring residents that measures were being taken to mitigate the impact of the disaster while advising them to stay away from the affected areas for their safety.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Dr. Peter Odey, described the landslide as a clear indication of the state’s increasing environmental vulnerability.
He said the magnitude of the disaster had overwhelmed the state’s response capacity.
Odey, has therefore, called for urgent federal government intervention through the deployment of technical expertise and ecological resources to prevent further destruction.