Residents and traditional leaders of Obutong Community in Calabar Municipality have appealed to the Cross River State Government for urgent intervention to address the worsening erosion and landslide threatening lives, homes and critical infrastructure in the area.
The delegation, led by the Chairman of the Obutong Council of Chiefs, Hon. Chief Effiom Archibong, paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Bassey Offiong Mensah, to draw government’s attention to the deteriorating environmental situation.
Chief Archibong thanked the Commissioner for granting the community audience and appealed for immediate government action to prevent the environmental challenge from escalating into a humanitarian crisis.
He explained that persistent landslides along the Obutong beach corridor have destroyed sections of access roads, endangered residential buildings and displaced several families. According to him, the environmental degradation has also disrupted economic activities, affected agricultural livelihoods and heightened safety concerns among residents.
He appealed to the Ministry of Environment to facilitate comprehensive technical assessments and implement sustainable erosion control and flood mitigation measures.
Chief Archibong also dismissed reports suggesting that the community was planning a protest, stressing that the disaster is a natural occurrence rather than a man-made crisis. He described those spreading such rumours as impostors and warned them to desist from actions capable of creating unnecessary tension.
Responding, the Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Bassey Offiong Mensah, commended the Obutong Community for embracing dialogue and constructive engagement in seeking government intervention. He described Obutong as one of the state’s oldest ancestral communities and reaffirmed the commitment of the Cross River State Government to safeguarding lives, property and the environment.
The Commissioner noted that addressing the challenge would require professional expertise and a coordinated approach. He disclosed that the Ministry was already collaborating with relevant agencies and development partners to assess the affected areas and develop practical, sustainable and long-term solutions.
He also urged residents to support environmental protection efforts by refraining from indiscriminate waste disposal, deforestation and construction along natural drainage channels, noting that such practices contribute significantly to environmental degradation and increase the risk of flooding and erosion.
By Jeno Richard Odu
