Leaders of Obutong Community in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State have denied reports of a purported protest allegedly carried out by residents on Wednesday against the state government over the devastating landslide ravaging the area.

They said the community is not aware of any such protest.

Reacting to the report, the Acting Chairman of the Obutong Traditional Council, HRH Iso Archibong, distanced the community from the action, insisting that the disaster was a natural occurrence and not a result of government neglect.

Speaking during a meeting at the community hall, Archibong said the traditional leadership had advised residents against embarking on any protest, maintaining that such action would not help efforts to secure assistance for victims.

“The Obutong people would rather pursue constructive engagement with relevant authorities than resort to demonstrations,” he said. “Anyone attempting to stage a protest is not acting on behalf of the community.”

He appealed to residents to remain calm and refrain from staging any protest over the landslide that has destroyed homes, roads and critical infrastructure in the area.

The community leaders instead called on the Federal Government, development partners and humanitarian organisations to urgently intervene, describing the environmental disaster as beyond the state’s capacity to manage alone.

The landslide, triggered by days of persistent rainfall in Calabar, has wreaked havoc around the Anansa Junction corridor between WAPI Junction and the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, Nigerian Navy. The disaster cut off sections of roads, submerged residential buildings and damaged public infrastructure.

The extent of the destruction prompted officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to visit the community on Tuesday for an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas.

Also speaking, the Supervisor for Environment, Calabar Municipal Council, Mr. Eso Eso Archibong, acknowledged reports of a planned protest but questioned the justification for blaming the government over a natural disaster.
He appealed to the Federal Government, donor agencies and humanitarian organisations to provide immediate support to affected residents.

The Acting Commissioner of Police, Cross River State, DCP Godwin Etim Effiong, urged residents to remain peaceful and cooperate with emergency responders.

He visited the affected community alongside the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Pius Edet; the Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Mensah Bassey Offiong; and other government officials.

DCP Effiong assured residents that measures were being taken to mitigate the impact of the disaster and advised them to stay away from the affected areas for their safety.

Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Dr. Peter Odey, described the landslide as a clear indication of the state’s increasing environmental vulnerability.

He said the magnitude of the disaster had overwhelmed the state’s response capacity and called for urgent Federal Government intervention through the deployment of technical expertise and ecological resources to prevent further destruction.