•Another house affected by the gully erosion
For residents of Ikot Uduak community in Calabar Municipality of Cross River State, erosion has become a real threat to their lives and property.
The residents now live in fear of the erosion, which they say can no longer be ignored. It is a disaster waiting to happen.
Hundreds of lives are at stake if nothing is done to check the situation urgently, residents fear.
It was gathered that already, not less than 30 families have been forced to relocate as several more have to do same if they should be safe. Many cannot afford to move or have nowhere elsewhere to go to.
•Princess Asibong
According to the Village Head- elect of the community, Princess Efioanwan Asibong, it has become a nightmare for the people of Ikot Uduak as they can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed for fear of the danger of the erosion and landslide.
She said: “We now live in fear knowing the speed at which erosion is eating our houses. Many have been forced to abandon their houses while some have lost property worth millions of naira to this, we don’t know what else to do but to cry out to His Excellency, Prof Ben Ayade to come to our rescue.
“As a young girl who grew up in this locality, even when my ancestors were still on the throne of Ikot Uduak, this whole place was plain land. There was nothing like erosion or landslide eating up any portion in the area .
“What you are looking at started about 12 years ago and the administration of Donald Duke tried so much to handle the situation by constructing a drainage which helped to reduce the problem then but they couldn’t complete the project as it was stopped mid way.
•The entrance to Ikot Uduak eaten up by erosion
“I have also tried to stop people from harvesting sand from the location but all my effort seems not to be effective, which is why we are also calling on the Deputy Governor, Prof Ivara Esu who has been going round some of these sites to also visit the one at Ikot Uduak because we now live on the edge.
“We have written an appeal letter to the Deputy Governor, Ministry of Lands and the Mayor of Calabar Municipality appealing to them to come to our aid before its too late because we now sleep with only one eye closed. We need government intervention in this community and we have also concluded plans to submit letters to NEWMAP(Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project).”
Also speaking, secretary of the community, Mr Ekpeyong Efiwatt, appealed to the government to help them salvage what is left of their ancestral home before they lose it completely.
He said: “We know the last administration did a lot in different rural areas but our community was totally left out for the past eight years. Nothing was done here because if the Imoke administration continued from where Duke stopped, this problem wouldn’t have escalated to this level.
“We also want them to help prosecute people who harvest sand from that location to avert the looming danger.”
A landlord in the area said: “We now live one day at a time as the disaster of having our houses swept away can happen at any time. Unfortunately, most of us have nowhere else to go.
“When I came in here almost two decades ago, things were not like this at all. What you are looking at today started almost 10 years ago. Then Mr Donald Duke was governor and he tried to control it, but since he left, nothing has been done. Since then it has continually expanded. It is high time the government took this matter as an emergency because that is exactly what it is.
“Many people that I came in with to build here have left with their families for the fear of this problem which showed no sign at all because this place was a plain land that was duly surveyed by qualified surveyor and building plans approved by the Ministry of Lands.
“We park our vehicle on the main road or some times other areas because the area is no longer accessible. We are calling on the government to help us because the suffering is too much.
“Business here are failing and people have closed shop because the area is no longer motorable, nobody can come into this area with a vehicle anymore.”
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ben Ayade, Mr Christian Ita, said: “The government is reaching out to the Federal Government with a view to getting assistance to address the issue. The governor being very proactive has written to the president for assistance to tackle that erosion site and other sites threatening homes, properties and lives in the state. We hope to hear from the Presidency very soon.”
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