Senate seeks emergency funds to combat Cross River erosion
The Senate has urged the Federal Government to release emergency funds from the Ecological Fund to tackle deadly gully erosion and landslides in Cross Rive Read More:…
Cross River State has long been one of Nigeria's worst-hit regions for gully erosion and landslides, a crisis driven by a mix of heavy rainfall, hilly terrain, poor drainage infrastructure and unregulated construction. Communities in areas such as Calabar, Obubra and parts of the state's hinterlands have repeatedly recorded collapsed roads, destroyed homes and, in severe cases, loss of life as gullies widen and hillsides give way during the rainy season.
The Ecological Fund, financed from a statutory percentage of the Federation Account, exists specifically to help states tackle such environmental disasters, but access to it has historically been slow and mired in bureaucratic delay, drawing recurring complaints from state governments and lawmakers. The Senate's intervention, which includes a call for the National Emergency Management Agency to evacuate at-risk residents and set up early-warning systems, reflects mounting pressure on the Federal Government to act quickly before the situation worsens. What remains unclear from the coverage so far is how much money would be released, a timeline for disbursement, and which federal agencies beyond NEMA would be tasked with implementation.