Ikot Uduak erosion site residents send SOS to governor-elect over abandoned project

Residents of Ikot Uduak erosion site in Calabar Municipal Council Area of Cross River State have sent a “Save-Our-Soul” message to the Governor-elect of the state Senator (Prince) Bassey Edet Otu to come to their aid as the rainy season has started already. They want him to visit the abandoned world Bank Assisted Control project that was awarded by the Cross River State World Bank Assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project – (NEWMAP).

The messaging was disclosed by the village Head, Her Highness, Deaconess (Princess) Efiowan Asuquo Asibong while fielding questions from newsmen in her palace on Saturday May 13, 2023 where she implored the governor-elect to compel the contractor to return to site and complete the abandoned remediation work inorder to salvage houses near the erosion corridor from collapsing due to failure of the drainage to channel water to the ravine in the erosion site.

Recall that erosion has ravaged some communities in Cross River State including Ikot Nkebre, Atakpa, Edim Otop, Ikot Ekpo, Ikot Anwatim, Ikot Enebong, LEMNA/Agric Quarters, Nyanghasang and Ikot Uduak in Calabar metropolis.

Newmap undertook the rehabilitation of erosion damaged sites, roads and pathways which forced many residents to relocate to save their lives especially during the rainy season.

Official statistics said over 20 houses were either pulled down or washed away and no fewer than 35 lives were lost in the last 10 years in these communities.

Some residents who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that the deep gullies all over the community have made many houses beside the ravine and others to sit inappropriately on edges of cliffs thereby making them vulnerable during heavy down pour resulting in several deaths and lost of properties worth millions of naira.

Though NEWMAP had said through the project coordinator, Mr. Fidelis Anukwa who spoke to journalists that the State government had set-up committees to sensitize the affected community members on the procedure for implementation of the livelihood activities in order for them to take full control and ownership of the ongoing or completed projects with additional four Community Intervention Groups (CIGS) in each of the affected communities and legally registered some 10 community associations in the Community Action Plan and Livelihood Business Plan proposals for funding as developed and reviewed and behaviour change campaigns on proper disposal of waste conducted across the communities in the state, Ikot Uduak has never benefited from any of these programs and therefore appeal to the Governor-elect, Senator (Prince) Bassey Otu for urgent intervention.

The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had proposed to rehabilitate Ikot Uduak, by Assemblies of God, God’s Heritage Axis, Ikot Uduak close and Ikot Uduak layout roadside in its 2020 master-plan but was truncated by NEWMAP incursion into the scheme which caused it to be abandoned.

A resident who is a civil engineer and whose property has been badly affected by the erosion menace and Civil Engineer has suggested that a by-pass be constructed from Ikot Uduak through Assemblies of God Church road to link-up old parliamentary with provision for a bailey bridge with pip-jacket drainage system to control the high volume of water to the ravine and decongest traffic from Efio Ete Junction to Akai Efa.

A visit to the Cross River State NEWMAP office to get their own side of the story on the development was naught as a security staff manning the gate say they NEWMAP has completed projects in the state.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)