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The Ikot Nkebre gully site at 8 miles area of Calabar Municipality has become a death trap for residents in the area.
In a release jointly signed by the Chairman of Nkebre Community Development Association and the Secretary, Etubom Eyo Ita-Eyo and Mr Emmanuel Ewa, they described the abandoned erosion site as a “death trap”.
They said that before now, some part of the Ikot Nkebre community was ravaged by erosion.
“The erosion did not only paralyze economic activities but endangered the lives of hundreds of residents within the community.
“But after many appeals to the government, work began on the community. Members of the community were so happy with the level of work by the AKPAVEN Integrated Service.
“But while the work was going on, some interference from external factors started setting in.
“We heard of a case where hoodlums attacked workers at the site and went away with their trucks. As it stands now, the whole work on the multi-billion naira World Bank erosion projects has been suspended.
“Currently, the conditions of the road is getting worse by the day especially this rainy season. These roads/pavement is being destroyed due to the movement of heavy duties equipment and plants at the erosion fingers.
“This has further brought untold hardship to the residents of both the upper and lower Nkebre as the two communities are completely cut off,” the release said.
While the recently hydraulic installations and bioremediation work at the gully heads and fingers respectively are at the verge of imminent collapse if urgent attention is not given in the reconstruction of the damaged drainages and road pavements that were channeling the heavy runoff waters within the community to the gully bed.
It will be very unfortunate to ignore these threats and allow the heavy investment by the World Bank/CRS-NEWMAP and most importantly the excellent works executed by the contractor, Akpaven Integrated Services Ltd, to be destroyed by surface runoff and uncontrolled floodwaters in this rainy season and expose the community into worse environmental crisis.
