Cross River government, communities seek FG’s intervention over landslide

The Cross River State government and victims of the recent landslide that cut off over 30, 000 people of Bumaji community have called on the Federal Government to intervene to cushion the effect of the disaster.

Bumaji community with a population of over 30,000 people from 12 villages in Boki local council of the state, bordering Cameroon, was last week cut off from the rest of Nigeria by landslide and flooding in which crops worth millions of Naira were lost.

Speaking on the incident with The Guardian yesterday, Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, John Inaku, said the damage on the road to Bumaji community was enormous.

“Since the landslide has blocked the road, we need to first clear the debris on the road and then see how we can replace the bridges, so that we can access the communities,” he said.

He noted that already the Federal Government was aware of the disaster but said: “We are writing to the government with a complete album of the incident for an urgent intervention.”

Besides the Bumaji community, the landslide, “equally affected the other area of Obanliku. We are trying to see how we can get some equipment to move in there. We are moving the equipment from Obudu road were the governor is constructing a road from Nfon to Obudu.

“I am waiting for resources to be made available because we need to fuel them (the heavy equipment) and the terrain is challenging. In a very short while we will be there,” he added.

Meanwhile, members of the community who are counting their losses due to the incident have also called on the Federal Government, good spirited Nigerians and corporate bodies to urgently intervene, as they have lost so much to the incident.

Speaking on behalf of the people, Cletus Obun said: “The incident was terrible. It has thrown the Bumaji community into confusion as the incident happened on a market day.

“Women who kept their goods by the river bank had over 300 of their banana bunches washed away by the flood. Cocoa and banana plantations were massively destroyed. The federal and state governments should please come to our rescue.”