The Senate on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to urgently release funds from the Ecological Fund to address gully erosion and landslides threatening communities in Cross River South Senatorial District.
The call followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during plenary on the recurring ecological emergency in Calabar metropolis and adjoining communities.
He said the disasters had claimed lives and destroyed homes.
Moving the motion, Ekpenyong listed Atakpa, Edim Otop, Ikot Effangha Mkpa, Nyaghasang, Ikot Anwatim, Nasarawa/Bacoco, Akai Effa, Bayside and Summit Hills among communities affected by erosion, while landslides continued threatening residents in Anansa.
He expressed concern that the disasters had caused deaths, displacement and property destruction, leaving bereaved families traumatised and survivors struggling to rebuild their lives amid fears of further devastation.
Ekpenyong recalled that a landslide at Ikot Anwatim in July 2026 killed five people, including four siblings from one family, destroyed two houses and injured two other residents.
He further said that another landslide at Edim Otop claimed the life of an eight-year-old girl, emphasising the urgent need for coordinated intervention to prevent further tragedies.
The senator expressed concern that parents had been forced to bury their children, while survivors faced the loss of homes and livelihoods, with unstable slopes threatening additional communities.
He identified poorly designed drainage systems, rapid urbanisation, blocked drains, indiscriminate waste disposal, unregulated sand mining, vegetation removal and unsuitable land-use practices as factors aggravating erosion in the affected areas.
Ekpenyong warned that isolated remedial projects without coordinated watershed planning could transfer erosion risks to neighbouring communities, emphasising the need for comprehensive engineering solutions and sustained environmental management.
“Further delay risks additional deaths, deeper displacement and greater destruction, and this emergency demands the immediate mobilisation of federal resources, including the Ecological Fund.
“Affected families require temporary shelter, food, medical and psychosocial support, while residents facing imminent danger must receive assistance with safe evacuation and temporary relocation.
“Major works must be supported by geotechnical and hydrological assessments, properly engineered discharge points, qualified design and supervision, and applicable environmental and social safeguards,” he said.
In his contribution, Sen. Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South) sympathised with the people of Cross River South over the devastating impact of gully erosion and landslides, urging urgent intervention to protect lives, property and vulnerable communities.
The Senate thereafter urged the Federal Government to approve, allocate and release adequate resources for emergency stabilisation and comprehensive erosion remediation in the affected communities.
It also called on the Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Cross River Government and relevant agencies, to assess dangerous sites and commence appropriate emergency protective works.
The Senate urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency and affected local councils to provide immediate assistance to bereaved and displaced families.
It further called for effective early-warning systems and continuous monitoring of unstable sites to alert residents and facilitate timely evacuation whenever conditions threatened their safety.
The Senate urged the Federal Ministries of Environment and Works to prioritise funding for erosion-control projects in Cross River and ensure interventions were supported by comprehensive technical assessments.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, mandated the Senate Committee on Environment to assess affected locations and existing interventions, engage responsible agencies on funding and implementation, and submit recommendations for further legislative action.
