Heavy rainfall has exposed no fewer than 75 erosion sites across Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, threatening roads, buildings and other infrastructure with erosion, flooding and landslides.
The state government said the recurrent heavy downpour in Calabar had continued to worsen the erosion and landslide situation, causing extensive damage to roads, buildings and other public infrastructure.
The Commissioner for Works, Pius Edet, disclosed this on Wednesday during an oversight visit by members of the Cross River State House of Assembly to some erosion and landslide sites in the metropolis.
“The issue of erosion and landslides in Calabar has become a recurrent decimal due to heavy downpour,” the commissioner said.
Edet assured residents that the state government would take swift measures to address the identified erosion sites, stressing that the extent of the damage required urgent intervention.
He, however, called for the intervention of relevant government agencies, noting that the magnitude of the erosion challenge was too extensive to be handled by a single agency.
The Assembly’s inspection followed a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised by the member representing Akamkpa II State Constituency, Linus Bassey, over the deteriorating erosion-control infrastructure at the Assembly Residential and Office Complex.
Bassey said the residential quarters, constructed in 1977, had deteriorated considerably, while collapsed erosion-control structures posed serious threats to the lives and property of lawmakers, their families and staff.
He said the increasing rainfall in Calabar had left residents of the quarters worried about flooding and erosion.
The lawmaker disclosed that the perimeter fence that previously prevented floodwater from entering the quarters had recently been pulled down by flooding.
He added that a duplex behind the quarters and a nearby hospital structure had also been destroyed by flooding.
Bassey also raised concern over a ravine around the residential quarters, saying its continued expansion posed a serious threat to adjoining buildings.
He drew the attention of the House to a gutter at the main entrance of the Assembly Office Complex, warning that the deepening channel beneath the road could eventually cause the road to collapse if urgent measures were not taken.
Reacting to the motion, the House Leader, Francis Asuquo, and other lawmakers expressed concern over the situation and supported the call for urgent intervention.
The Speaker, Elvert Ayambem, described the motion as timely, stressing that the safety and welfare of lawmakers, staff and other Cross River residents must be prioritised.
During the inspection of the Anansa Road landslide site, Asuquo said the incident, which occurred while the House was on recess, had become a matter of serious concern because of its potential impact on lives and property.
He called for immediate intervention to address the erosion challenge, warning that further delay could result in more destruction.
At the Assembly Residential Quarters, the House Leader observed that what started as a small erosion channel had gradually developed into a widening gully.
“What started as a very small narrow path has developed into a gully erosion site which keeps expanding. If nothing is urgently done, it will develop into something more devastating,” he said.
The House subsequently urged the state government and relevant agencies to urgently commence remedial works at the affected sites to prevent further destruction and avert possible loss of lives and property.