Leaders of Obutong Community in Calabar Municipality have dismissed reports claiming residents staged a protest against the Cross River State Government over the devastating landslide that has left homes, roads and livelihoods in ruins.
Addressing journalists during a meeting at the community hall, the Acting Chairman of the Obutong Traditional Council, HRH Iso Archibong, insisted that no protest was endorsed by the community. He stressed that the environmental disaster was a natural occurrence and not a result of government neglect.
According to the traditional ruler, the community has consistently advised residents against taking to the streets, maintaining that peaceful engagement with government and relevant authorities remains the best approach to securing help for affected victims.
Archibong said anyone attempting to organise a protest was acting independently and did not represent the position of the Obutong people. He urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with emergency responders rather than resort to demonstrations.
Instead of protests, the community appealed to the Federal Government, humanitarian organisations and development partners to urgently intervene, saying the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed both residents and the state government.
The landslide, triggered by days of persistent rainfall, has caused extensive destruction around the Anansa Junction corridor between WAPI Junction and the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy. Roads have been cut off, homes submerged and critical public infrastructure severely damaged.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have already visited the affected area to assess the level of destruction and determine the support required for victims.
Also speaking, the Supervisor for Environment in Calabar Municipal Council, Eso Eso Archibong, questioned the rationale behind blaming the government for what he described as a natural disaster. He called on all tiers of government and donor agencies to focus on providing relief and long-term engineering solutions rather than allowing misinformation to create unnecessary tension.
The Acting Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, DCP Godwin Etim Effiong, also appealed for calm during a visit to the community alongside state government officials. He advised residents to stay away from the affected areas while emergency measures are being put in place to reduce further risks.
With heavy rains continuing across Calabar, community leaders have warned that urgent intervention is needed to prevent further destruction, insisting that what Obutong needs now is not conflict, but swift humanitarian and engineering support.
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