By Ita Williams
Leaders of Obutong community in Calabar Municipality have denied reports that residents are planning to protest over the devastating landslide threatening the area.
Instead, they appealed to the Federal, State and Local Governments to urgently address the environmental disaster before more lives and property are lost.
The clarification came during an interview with the journalists in Obutong on Tuesday.
Acting Chairman of the Obutong Traditional Council, Hon. Chief Effiong Etim Eso Archibong, described the alleged protest as false.
“We just returned from the inauguration association Board of Trustees when we heard that Obutong people wanted to protest at the Governor’s Office. God forbid,” he said.
He urged individuals conveying information to Governor Bassey Otu to ensure it was factual.
“Obutong cannot go on protest. As long as I remain the head of this council, such a protest will never happen. Any statement suggesting otherwise is false,” he declared.
Supervisor for Environment, Calabar Municipality, Hon. Eso Eso Archibong, also dismissed the rumour.
“A memo circulated today claiming there would be a protest over the landslide. We ask: who is protesting and why?” he queried.
He described the incident as a natural disaster beyond political considerations.
“Natural disasters can occur anywhere. The affected substandard structures were not erected under the current administration,” he noted.
He maintained that the scale of the disaster required coordinated intervention by all levels of government.
“There is no protest. We are simply asking government to rescue our community and we reaffirm our support for Governor Bassey Otu,” he added.
Rev. Harrison Richard Efa also appealed for immediate intervention, pleading, “People are losing their properties daily. Government should act without delay.”
He lamented the impact of the landslide on businesses, including Lafarge, saying it was hurting the state’s economy.
“The situation is pathetic and demands urgent attention,” he said.
“If another heavy rainfall occurs in the coming days, the erosion will spread and destroy additional properties,” he warned, and appealed to government to “urgently come to the aid of every affected resident.”
