By Sylvia Akpan
The Cross River State Government has clarified that the demolition notice recently served on properties in the Water Board area of Calabar is part of a broader exercise affecting 39 buildings, dismissing claims that the action was specifically targeted at the residence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship candidate for 2027, Mr. Alphonsus Eba.
Eba, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) State Chairman, is among property owners whose buildings were marked by the Cross River State Planning and Development Control Task Force with demolition notices bearing the reference CRS/POCT/043.
Addressing the controversy, the Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, told CrossRiverWatch that the exercise was necessitated by concerns that several buildings had been erected on major water pipelines, posing serious environmental, public health and infrastructure risks.
“The issue here is with the Cross River State Development Authority Task Force. There are 39 properties that were marked for demolition,” the official said.
According to him, the affected properties are not limited to Eba’s residence but include buildings belonging to prominent individuals and government institutions.
“Even the property of Senator Oden Ewa has been marked, and even the present Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy has also been marked because those structures were built on top of major pipelines,” he stated.
The government explained that previous warnings had been issued before the land was allocated, stressing that continued development over the pipelines could compromise the state’s water infrastructure.
“The bottom line is this: is Cross River State going to relocate the Water Board to another place and buy new pipes? That is where we are now,” he said.
Dr. Ekpang clarified that no demolition date had been fixed and that the notices were merely intended to notify affected property owners of the existing violations.
“We have not even given the go-ahead for anybody to demolish any house. The task force only wrote a notice informing the affected persons that they are sitting on top of pipelines,” he explained.
Stressing on the public health implications, Erasmus warned that developments over the pipelines could contaminate underground water sources.
“When you build over these pipelines, even when people dig boreholes, there is the possibility of contamination because underground water from soakaway pits can mix with water sources meant for human consumption,” he added.
Responding to allegations that Eba was being singled out because of his political affiliation, the government insisted that politics had nothing to do with the exercise.
“It is not as if the government is interested in Okadigbo. Okadigbo is one of us, just as Oden Ewa is. I don’t like it when people focus only on Okadigbo. Why are we playing politics with governance?” he queried.
“The date for demolition has not been fixed. It was only a notice, yet people are saying it is because he moved to the PDP. Did he win his ward in the last election? What is our business with that? We are doing governance.”
The government further disclosed that a committee would determine the next line of action, including whether compensation would be paid or alternative arrangements made.
“There is a committee that is supposed to address these matters, whether they will compensate them or whether the Water Board will be relocated to another site. We don’t know yet,” he stated.
Reiterating that the exercise extends beyond Eba’s property, he added,
How said Alphonsus Eba is not witch-hunted, adding that the Deputy Governor Peter Odey’s property is on the line.
“The property marked for demolition is not only his property. God forbid. Even the Deputy Governor lives in that area. We will look at the map and the development plan before any final decision is taken.”
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