Residents of Obutong Community in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, have linked the recent massive landslide that tore through parts of their community to the anger of a traditional sea goddess known as Anansa, insisting that spiritual intervention must accompany any government effort to stop the disaster.
The landslide, which followed days of heavy rainfall, has destroyed businesses, damaged properties, disrupted livelihoods and left residents living in fear as the affected area continues to cave in each day.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the Youth Leader of Obutong, Mr. Emmanuel Okon, said many residents believe the incident goes beyond natural causes.
According to him, while engineers may be needed to repair the damaged area, the community also believes that traditional cleansing rites and prayers are necessary to restore peace and prevent further destruction.
Okon explained that, based on the community's traditional beliefs, the sea goddess Anansa must be appeased through customary rites. He urged traditional custodians to immediately perform the necessary rituals while also calling on residents to reflect on actions that may have provoked the calamity.
He also appealed to both the Federal Government and the Cross River State Government to urgently intervene, stressing that the damaged road is a federal route serving strategic facilities.
According to him, several shipping containers and heavy-duty trucks have become stranded near the damaged corridor, making it difficult for businesses and motorists to operate normally. He called for the construction of a temporary access road while permanent engineering work begins.
Responding to the situation, the Cross River State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Bassey Mensah, dismissed the spiritual explanation and described the landslide as a natural environmental disaster requiring urgent technical intervention.
Mensah disclosed that erosion experts have recommended diverting floodwater from one drainage channel to another to reduce pressure on the affected area and slow the expanding landslide.
He acknowledged that permanent repairs would require substantial funding but assured residents that immediate efforts would focus on redirecting floodwater to prevent further destruction.
An engineer familiar with the situation also blamed poor maintenance and inadequate monitoring of infrastructure in disaster-prone areas.
According to the engineer, infrastructure located in erosion-prone environments must be regularly inspected and maintained. Failure to do so, he said, allows small drainage problems to develop into major environmental disasters like the one currently threatening Obutong.
The Obutong landslide is one of several erosion disasters recorded across Cross River following recent heavy rainfall. State officials have already warned that the expanding gully around the Anansa Road corridor threatens critical infrastructure, including access to the Nigerian Navy Base and other federal facilities, prompting renewed calls for Federal Government intervention.
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