Some residents of Cross River and Akwa Ibom have raised the alarm over worsening challenges arising from erosions and landslides in some communities.
The residents expressed their concerns on Tuesday in a survey conducted by newsmen on the effects of erosions and landslides.
It would be recalled that Cross River recorded 10 devastating landslides within the Calabar Municipal Council in the last five months following torrential rainfall in the city.
The landslides, which destroyed property worth millions of naira, also led to loss of lives in Ikot Anwatim, Ikot Effanga, and the ‘Boro Pit’ Area of Satellite Town.
Sharing his experience, Mr Ubong Edu, who lost four of his children and his house in the Ikot Anwatim landslide, said that ‘life had turned tremendously sour and tough’.
Edu, a security guard, urged the government and other stakeholders to sensitise residents to possible measures they could take to control erosion and landslides.
“Is there nothing we can do as humans to avert this kind of occurrence? We need to be told so that we can play our roles to avoid future occurrence,” he said.
He commended Gov. Bassey Out of Cross River for supporting his family with N2 million to start life again after the disaster.
Mrs Itoro Abang, a teacher and victim of the recent landslide in Cross River, said that she lost all her belongings to the incident, and required support to start life again.
“My family did not get any of our property after the landslide; everything was washed away and damaged. We are almost hopeless.
“I have been homeless since, by sheer grace, I got someone who provided my family with temporary accommodation, I need support to begin a new life,” she said.
Mr Efa Nyong, the Director-General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), described the situation as tragic and unfortunate.
He said that the agency had assessed all the affected areas, and adequately documented the resultant damage.
Nyong said that the government had consoled the bereaved families, and relocated many homeless families to safer areas.
“The state government has given money to some victims of landslides and floods, especially those who lost everything and loved ones, this is to enable them to start their lives again.
“Although this assistance is immediate, the state has also carried out a comprehensive assessment of all the landslides to see how a more concrete help can be rendered to victims,” he said.
Nyong said that the agency was embarking on massive sensitisation to caution residents against erecting buildings in valleys, unstable and sloppy areas.
“Property developers need to make environmental and safety considerations when selecting locations for buildings. Disaster prevention is very critical.
“Prolonged and heavy rainfall can weaken and saturate the soil and increase the risk of landslides and other forms of ground failure,” he said.
Mr Bassey Mensah, the Commissioner for Environment, described the landslides that occurred in the state as natural occurrences that required urgent technical interventions to mitigate their effects.
Mensah said that the state government had engaged erosion experts on the recent incidents in the state, especially the one that divided Anansa Road in Obutong Community.
“The experts have recommended the diversion of water from one drainage channel to another to reduce pressure and slow the advancing landslide.
“Although the remedy for erosion and landslides in the state will require huge funding, immediate efforts are focused on redirecting flood water to prevent additional destruction.
“In our sensitisation exercises, we have appealed for cooperation from the public as we carry out some prompt interventions while long-term solutions are developed,” he said.
In Akwa Ibom, several communities in Uyo such as parts of K-Line Ewet Housing Estate, Nkemba Street, Ukana Offot, Abak Road and Nsikak Eduok Road have been threatened by erosion.
Other affected areas are Ediam Road, Edohoeket Street, Idua Road, Afaha Eket Road, All Weather Road, Ikot Udoma, Mkpok Lane, Eket-Oron Road, Hospital Road and others.
Mr Aniedi Edet, a resident of Uyo, said that many parts of the city were threatened by erosion and that many private facilities and public infrastructure could be affected if urgent measures were not taken.
He urged Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom to intervene quickly in order to save the lives and property of residents.
“The way the erosion is going, many facilities will be affected. We must be very watchful to avoid loss of life. We need the government to implement long-term solutions to this issue,” he said.
Another resident, Obong James Nsikak, said that his business premises was threatened by erosion, and that he stood the risk of losing his entire life’s worth if urgent measures were not taken.
“We need a lasting solution to this threat. It is disheartening that every rainy season, residents of Uyo live in fear, not sure of what happens the next moment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom Government has said that it is taking deliberate steps towards ensuring effective erosion control in the interest of the people.
The Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga, said that work was progressing steadily on the Uyo Village Road Erosion Control, Land Reclamation and Bridge Construction project.
Ibanga said that the intervention would reclaim about 150 hectares of land, protect nearby public facilities, and open up the area for the planned Uyo Downtown Development
“This intervention is largely necessitated by the severe erosion menace that has threatened lives, homes and property along that axis.
“When the governor assumed office, the erosion problem along Udo Inwang Road had become critical, with the ravine consuming several houses, including the residence of the Village Head of Ewet Offot.
“The governor directed the ministry to tackle the challenge decisively. The intervention eventually gave birth to the development of Arise Palm Resort and the restoration of the surrounding road network,” he said.
In Rivers, there has been several reported cases of gully and coastal erosion, particularly in Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Oyigbo Local Government Areas and the Port Harcourt Metropolis.
An environmental and human rights activist, Mr Celestine Akpobari, said that the situation in Rivers had worsened over the years, urging governments at all levels to urgently address the worsening erosion and flooding in some communities.
Akpobari said that erosion had become a recurring disaster, with local, state and Federal Governments receiving repeated warnings about its impact on vulnerable communities.
He expressed concern that some communities previously considered less vulnerable to erosion were now experiencing severe gully and coastal erosion.
The activist cited Bane Community in Khana Local Government Area, where erosion had allegedly destroyed homes and forced residents to abandon some buildings.
“People are no longer staying in some of the buildings for fear that they could slip and fall into the erosion,” he said.
He also raised concern over erosion around Kira Community on the East-West Road, close to the Federal University of Environment.
According to him, the erosion had cut off part of the road for more than a month without intervention from any tier of government.
Akpobari called for stronger government intervention and adequate funding for regulatory agencies to collect data and develop appropriate responses to environmental disasters.
“The government should equip the regulatory agencies to go round, get data and statistics and determine what can be done to tackle the challenges,” he said.
He accused governments of paying insufficient attention to the environmental challenges affecting ordinary citizens.
“The unfortunate thing is that there is zero attention from local, state and federal governments in addressing the disaster.
“I am worried, sad and angry that these sort of things are still happening, while government seems more concerned about the next election,” he said.
Akpobari said that affected residents should be relocated to safer areas where the government would provide shelter and welfare support.
Another environment expert, Mr Henry Eferegbo, has urged the government to adequately align development policy formulation and implementation with the realities arising from changes in the environment and climate.
He urged the government to collaborate with certified urban planners, surveyors and environmentalists to ensure appropriate drainage connectivity for proper evacuation of rainwater.
“The government should adequately deploy Geographical Information Systems (GIS) before embarking on construction works,” he said.
Eferebo urged the state government to formulate policies that would prohibit deforestation and conserve delicate forest habitats such as wetlands.
“Unregulated deforestation can lead to erosion, flooding and landslide. Indiscriminate land reclamation and use of dynamite by crude oil miners should be prohibited,” he said
In her reaction, Miss Usoro Akpabio, the Managing Director, South-South Development Commission (SSDC), expressed concern over the loss of life and property in some parts of the region as a result of erosion and landslides.
She explained that the SSDC team had inspected some erosion and landslide sites in Cross Rivers to understand the extent of disasters and the challenges facing the affected communities.
She stated that the commission had taken note of the situation and would continue to explore possible interventions to bring relief and support to affected communities in the region.
Analysts say that despite huge annual budgetary allocations on erosion control, state governments have continued to face mounting questions over disaster preparedness.
They said that the worsening challenges of erosion and landslide had exposed governments to years of neglected interventions and inconsistent spending on environmental projects
Environmental experts describe erosion as the gradual wearing away of the top soil layer, either by water flow or wind, often removing a few tens of an inch or less over a period of days or even weeks.
According to the experts, flooding can create a large gully within minutes, effectively eroding the soil and depositing it downstream in massive quantities.