The Senate has urged the Federal Government to urgently release funds from the Ecological Fund to tackle gully erosion and landslides threatening communities in Cross River State.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during the plenary on Tuesday.
The motion highlighted recurring ecological disasters in Calabar metropolis and neighbouring communities that have claimed lives and destroyed homes.
Ekpenyong listed Atakpa, Edim Otop, Ikot Effangha Mkpa, Nyaghasang, Ikot Anwatim, Nasarawa/Bacoco, Akai Effa, Bayside and Summit Hills among communities affected by erosion, while residents of Anansa face the threat of landslides.
He recalled that a landslide at Ikot Anwatim in July 2026 killed five people, including four siblings from the same family, destroyed two houses and injured two residents. He added that another landslide at Edim Otop claimed the life of an eight-year-old girl.
The senator expressed concern over the deaths, displacement and destruction of property, warning that unstable slopes continued to threaten more communities.
He attributed the worsening situation to poorly designed drainage systems, rapid urbanisation, blocked drains, indiscriminate waste disposal, unregulated sand mining, vegetation removal and improper land-use practices.
Ekpenyong warned that isolated remedial projects without coordinated watershed planning could transfer erosion risks to neighbouring communities, and called for comprehensive engineering solutions and sustained environmental management.
“Further delay risks additional deaths, deeper displacement and greater destruction, and this emergency demands the immediate mobilisation of federal resources, including the Ecological Fund,” he said.
The senator also called for temporary shelter, food, medical and psychosocial support for affected families, as well as safe evacuation and temporary relocation for residents facing imminent danger.
The chamber urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency and affected local councils to provide immediate assistance to bereaved and displaced families.
It further called for effective early-warning systems and continuous monitoring of unstable sites to facilitate timely alerts and evacuation, while urging the Ministries of Environment and Works to prioritise funding for erosion-control projects in the state.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the Senate Committee on Environment to inspect affected communities, assess ongoing interventions and engage relevant agencies on funding and implementation, with a view to submitting recommendations for further legislative action.
