By Akanimo Sampson
More than 2,000 homes in Cross River State are currently on the verge of being washed away by gully erosion as the rains return this year with vengeance. This is so because the effort by the authorities to prevent the disaster from happening is being threatened by the local people.
Akpaven Integrated Services, the contracting firm handling the four fingers of the Ikot Nkebre gully erosion project for the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) is being troubled by communal disturbances.
Work has already stopped on the project due to the activities of hoodlums allegedly troubling the company for easy cash flow. Concerned local sources say the project has been suffering unnecessary delay for over one year.
Hoodlums aside, it is also being alleged that the Cross River State Government under the watch of Governor Ben Ayade is yet to approve three Interim Payments Certificates (IPC) after the company reached an agreement with suppliers of project materials.
Thugs recently attacked staff of the company who lift laterite from Obot Okoho near Bacoco. Some were arrested and later released following pressure from “people close to government,” security sources said.
Residents are crying to be rescued from the merciless gully erosion as the rains have started to pour angrily due to the menace of climate change.
“We are pleading that whosoever is behind the harassment of the contractor and workers on-site should please stop forthwith for the sake of this community. The contractor has recovered some areas that were totally eaten off by the erosion. They have done a good job so far, they should be allowed to continue”, said Etim Edem-Effiom, the Community Liaison Officer of the contractor told newsmen.Continuing, he said, ”before now, over 40 buildings collapsed in this area and some people died in the process. The contractor came on board and helped some people in recovering their houses.”
Project Director of Akpaven Integrated Services, George Brown, an engineer, says work on the four fingers has reached 95 percent completion with the only remediation work left to be carried out.
“We had some invasion about three weeks ago from hoodlums. They came in on the pretext that we were not paying mining levies. “From our records and the interactions we have with relevant tax agencies and consultants, we have paid all levies to accrue to the state even up to the end of April.
”We have updated all our revenues, but the faceless hoodlums came in on the pretext of revenue. The State Internal Revenue Service has not come to seal us or any other agency of government over tax default. On the day the hoodlums struck, national officials from the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project were in our facility. They beat up our workers and seized our trucks as well.”
