Cross River: Water Board demolitions tied to World Bank project conditions, not politics — Govt

The Cross River state government says the planned demolition of structures at the Water Board premises in Calabar is part of World Bank project conditions and not targeted at any individual.

The clarification follows a demolition notice issued to several buildings within the premises, including one belonging to PDP deputy governorship candidate Alphonsus Eba. The properties are located inside the Calabar premises of the State Water Board.

Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, said the action is driven by “overriding public interest” to restore water supply in the state.

He explained that the Water Board facility was originally for water production, with large underground pipes running through the area. He said several residential structures, including staff quarters, were later developed on the land.

“Are there pipes under those houses? If the answer is in the affirmative, then the government can demolish your house. Because they want to access the pipes so that people can have potable drinking water,” Akiba said.

He said water projects are usually done with the support of the World Bank, and the government has funds that have been hanging for over two years. “We cannot site any of those pipes without excavation,” he said.

Akiba added that the exercise is not limited to Eba. He said houses belonging to others, including a commissioner, special adviser, former permanent secretaries, retirees are also marked for demolition, as well as other government structures.

“It’s good these issues are coming to the public domain so people can understand if we should continue to support irresponsibility and protect inadequacies,” Akiba said.

The government said there will be no demolition without adequate notice and that provisions exist for relocation where necessary, stressing that the water supply is not solely for the governor’s consumption but for the generality of the people.

Eba had earlier described the demolition notice as “politics taken too far”, insisting that the planned demolition of his residence was politically motivated.