By Felix Asuquo
Residents of Efut Efio Ene community in Calabar, Cross River State, have expressed fears that more lives could be lost if urgent measures are not taken to address recurring flooding that has continued to ravage the area.
The residents, who spoke during a visit by our correspondent to the community, lamented that years of flooding had destroyed homes, displaced families, contaminated water sources and exposed them to severe health risks.
They attributed the persistent flooding to blocked drainage channels and the failure of successive administrations to maintain critical flood-control infrastructure in the area.
A visit to the community revealed clogged drainage channels filled with plastic waste, debris and overgrown vegetation, preventing the free flow of water into nearby rivers. Signs of erosion and water damage were visible on several buildings, while stagnant pools of water dotted parts of the community.
Speaking on behalf of residents, the Clan Head of Efut Efio Ene, Muri Ekong Umo Ekpo II, described flooding as the community’s biggest challenge.
“Our major problem here is water. All the water from different parts of Calabar passes through this community. During the administration of Donald Duke, these drainage channels were evacuated regularly and the water flowed directly into the river,” he said.
He lamented that maintenance of the drainage system had stopped over the years, resulting in blocked channels and increased flooding.
“The channels have been blocked and water can no longer flow freely into the river. Whenever it rains, the flood spreads across the community, destroying houses and properties. We have discovered corpses here after heavy rains. Water carries people from different places and deposits them here. Many lives have been lost because of this problem,” he said.
The traditional ruler appealed to the state government to urgently intervene by evacuating the blocked drainage channels and restoring proper water flow.
Also speaking, the Women Leader of the community, Obongawan Nanke Bassey, said residents had suffered enormous losses due to flooding.
According to her, the volume of water flowing through the community during rainfall often destroys homes and sweeps away valuables.
“The flood has taken my farms, my pigs, my chickens and even important documents, including certificates. Many people have abandoned their houses because they can no longer cope with the flooding,” she said.
Bassey recalled a previous flood incident that reportedly claimed the lives of three children and an adult after a building was overwhelmed by floodwaters.
She said residents had previously protested at the Cross River State House of Assembly and were promised intervention by relevant authorities, but lamented that little had been done to address the situation.
The women leader also raised concerns over the health implications of the flooding, noting that water sources in the community had become polluted.
“All our water sources have been contaminated. We cannot drink water from our wells anymore. People now depend on sachet and bottled water. We have cases of malaria, typhoid and other diseases because of stagnant water,” she said.
On his part, the Youth Leader of the community, Princewill Lawrence Ita, called for urgent government intervention, describing the situation as an emergency.
“We need support from the Cross River State Government. This flooding has become too much for the community to handle alone. Previous administrations used to evacuate the drainage channels, but that is no longer happening,” he said.
Ita added that the community hosts three polling units and had consistently participated in elections, expressing disappointment that residents’ concerns had not received adequate attention.
Residents, however, warned that unless urgent action is taken to clear the blocked drainage channels and improve flood-control infrastructure, the community could witness further destruction and possible loss of lives as the rainy season intensifies.
When contacted, the Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Antigha Edem, said the agency had made presentations to the government on flood-related challenges in parts of the state.
“We have written to the government and made presentations,” Edem said, adding that inquiries regarding environmental remediation and drainage evacuation should be directed to the Commissioner for Environment or the Director-General of the Cross River State Urban Development Agency.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Commissioner for Environment, Moses Osogi, were unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor responded to text messages sent to his telephone line as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, calls placed to the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ankpo Pius, were not answered and he did not return calls seeking comment on the residents’ complaints.
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