For residents of Akai Efa community in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State, the sound of rainfall no longer brings the familiar promise of a new day. Instead, it signals another period of fear, uncertainty and the possibility of losing everything to the relentless advance of gully erosion.
What began as an environmental concern more than five years ago has grown into a frightening threat to homes, farms, businesses and human lives, forcing the community's traditional ruler, Her Highness Henrietta Effa-Akpera, to appeal to the Federal Government, Governor Bassey Edet Otu and elected representatives for urgent intervention.
The monarch raised the alarm in Calabar after leading community stakeholders on an inspection of two major erosion sites, where the devastating impact of the environmental disaster has continued to deepen.
For Akai Efa, the danger is no longer a distant possibility. It is unfolding before the eyes of residents who fear that continued rainfall could leave parts of their community inaccessible and push already vulnerable families into homelessness.
According to Effa-Akpera, the erosion problem has been reported repeatedly, including during the period when the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, was active. Officials had visited the affected areas for inspection, she said, but the community is still waiting for the kind of lasting intervention that could prevent further destruction.
“We have been reporting this problem since the time NEWMAP was there. They came and inspected the area. It has been over four or five years since the gully fingers began, but we did not know that the heavy rainfall would aggravate the situation to this frightening level,” she lamented.
The consequences have been devastating, particularly for residents whose livelihoods depend on farming and small businesses.
About three weeks before the monarch's appeal, heavy rainfall and flooding reportedly destroyed fish and poultry farms, wiping out investments estimated at more than N100 million.
Among those said to have suffered losses were Cyril Akom and Chief Henry Onwe, alongside other affected residents whose businesses and sources of income were damaged by the flooding.
For these residents, the losses represent more than damaged property. They threaten household food supplies, family stability and the ability to recover financially from an environmental disaster that continues to worsen.
“Some people who own fish and poultry farms lost their fish because of the heavy rainfall. Their produce, worth over N100 million, was washed away. As I speak, some victims have nothing to eat or anywhere to stay because erosion has threatened their homes,” the monarch said.
Behind the reported financial losses are families struggling to understand how they will rebuild their lives while the danger remains.
The situation has also raised concerns about the safety of residents living close to the advancing gullies. With further rainfall capable of worsening the damage, the community fears that delayed intervention could result in casualties.
Effa-Akpera warned that the situation requires immediate attention and called on the Federal Government and the Cross River State Government to work together to rescue the community before the erosion causes further destruction.
“My cry is that the Federal Government should join hands with the state government to rescue these people. If the rain continues like this, many lives may be lost,” she warned.
Her appeal reflects the growing anxiety among residents who believe that the scale of the environmental threat is beyond what the community can address through local efforts alone.
The monarch also called on Hon. Joseph Bassey, who represents Akpabuyo, Bakassi and Calabar South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House committee responsible for disaster management, to intervene.
Describing the lawmaker as a son of the soil with knowledge of the community's challenges, she urged him to use his position to attract urgent assistance and ensure that the plight of Akai Efa receives the attention it deserves.
“Joseph Bassey, popularly known as Papa, is my son. He lives in this community and knows most of these problems. Please, if there is any way to reach him, tell him to come home. The house is on fire. He should come and help Akai Efa,” she appealed.
She equally called on Hon. Stanley Nsemo, the member representing Calabar Municipality State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, to liaise with the state government and pursue an urgent response to the erosion crisis.
For Akai Efa, the appeal is a race against time. Every heavy downpour threatens to deepen the gullies, destroy more investments and expose more families to danger.
The community's plight also raises broader questions about the need for sustained monitoring of erosion-prone areas, timely intervention after environmental assessments and long-term infrastructure capable of protecting vulnerable settlements from the destructive effects of flooding and soil erosion.
While residents continue to count their losses and worry about what the next rainfall may bring, the monarch's message to the authorities is unmistakable: Akai Efa cannot afford another season of waiting.
The community is calling for more than expressions of sympathy. It needs a coordinated and lasting response that will protect lives, restore livelihoods and prevent an environmental disaster from turning into a humanitarian tragedy.
For the people of Akai Efa, the battle is no longer simply against erosion. It is a struggle to preserve their homes, their livelihoods and the future of their community.
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