Korede Abdullah 
CALABAR, Nigeria – The Cross River landslides crisis has prompted the state government to appeal for urgent Federal Government intervention, warning that worsening erosion and mudslides now threaten lives, critical infrastructure and strategic national assets beyond the state’s capacity to manage.
Deputy Governor Peter Odey made the appeal on Wednesday during an inspection of the massive mudslide at Diamond Hill near the Calabar Jetty, which was triggered by Monday’s torrential rainfall.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Ecological Fund to urgently deploy technical experts, equipment and financial support to contain what he described as an impending ecological disaster.
“Similar incidents have occurred in other states, and the Federal Ministry of Environment intervened through the Ecological Fund. We believe Cross River deserves the same level of attention. We are appealing to the Federal Government to urgently deploy the necessary equipment, technical experts and every available support to help us address this challenge,” Odey said.
“They warned us during the hazard mapping exercise that incidents like this could happen, but we never anticipated the situation would become this serious. This is not just about financial support; it is about deploying the technical expertise required to permanently solve this problem,” he said.
“If this road is eventually cut off, access to these facilities will be severely disrupted. That is why this intervention is important not only for Cross River State but also for the Federal Government and the nation as a whole,” he added.
“We have about fourteen directors from NEMA presently in Cross River State, and they have already visited the site. This is a challenge that requires genuine collaboration between the Cross River State Government and the Federal Government because it is beyond what any single institution can effectively handle,” Odey said.
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