Residents of Efut Efio Ene community in Calabar, Cross River State, have raised the alarm over the worsening flood situation in the area, warning that more lives could be lost if urgent intervention is not carried out as the rainy season intensifies.
They blamed the persistent flooding on blocked drainage channels and the failure of relevant authorities to maintain critical flood-control infrastructure serving the community.
The residents, who spoke with our correspondent during a visit to the community, lamented that years of recurring flooding have destroyed homes, displaced families, contaminated water sources, and exposed them to serious health risks.
A visit to the area showed drainage channels clogged with plastic waste, debris, and overgrown vegetation, preventing the free flow of water into adjoining rivers, while several buildings bore visible signs of water damage and stagnant pools of water were seen across different parts of the community.
Speaking on behalf of residents, the Clan Head of Efut Efio Ene, Muri Ekong Umo Ekpo II, described flooding as the greatest challenge facing the community.
“Our major problem here is water. All the water from different parts of Calabar passes through this community. During the administration of Donald Duke, these drainage channels were evacuated regularly and the water flowed directly into the river,” he said.
According to him, the abandonment of routine maintenance of the drainage system has resulted in severe flooding whenever it rains.
“The channels have been blocked and water can no longer flow freely into the river. Whenever it rains, the flood spreads across the community, destroying houses and properties. We have discovered corpses here after heavy rains. Water carries people from different places and deposits them here. Many lives have been lost because of this problem,” he added.
The traditional ruler appealed to the state government to urgently clear the blocked drainage channels and restore proper water flow to prevent further disasters.
Also speaking, the Women Leader of the community, Obongawan Nanke Bassey, said residents have suffered huge economic losses as a result of the floods.
“The flood has taken my farms, my pigs, my chickens and even important documents, including certificates. Many people have abandoned their houses because they can no longer cope with the flooding,” she said.
Bassey recalled a previous flood incident that claimed the lives of three children and an adult after floodwaters overwhelmed a residential building.
She said residents had in the past staged protests at the Cross River State House of Assembly and were assured of government intervention, but noted that little had been done to address the problem.
The women leader also expressed concern over the health implications of the flooding, saying water sources in the community have become heavily polluted.
“All our water sources have been contaminated. We cannot drink water from our wells anymore. People now depend on sachet and bottled water. We have cases of malaria, typhoid and other diseases because of stagnant water,” she said.
On his part, the Youth Leader of the community, Princewill Lawrence Ita, described the situation as an emergency requiring immediate government attention.
“We need support from the Cross River State Government. This flooding has become too much for the community to handle alone. Previous administrations used to evacuate the drainage channels, but that is no longer happening,” he said.
Ita added that the community hosts three polling units and has consistently participated in elections, expressing disappointment that residents’ concerns have yet to receive adequate attention.
Residents warned that unless urgent action is taken to clear blocked drainage channels and improve flood-control infrastructure, the community could witness further destruction of property and possible loss of lives as rainfall continues across the state.
When contacted, the Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Antigha Edem, said the agency has already drawn the government’s attention to flood-related challenges affecting parts of the state.
“We have written to the government and made presentations,” Edem told our correspondent, adding that issues relating to environmental remediation and drainage evacuation fall under the purview of the Ministry of Environment and the Cross River State Urban Development Agency.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Commissioner for Environment, Moses Osogi, were unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor responded to text messages sent to his telephone line as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, calls placed to the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ankpo Pius, were not answered, while messages sent to him were not returned before this report was filed.