As Nigeria marked its 2025 Democracy Day celebration, the Cross River State office of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has commended the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu for his timely and impactful interventions in critical erosion-prone sites across Calabar Metropolis.
During a site visit on Wednesday by online newspaper NEGROIDHAVEN, NEWMAP’s State Project Coordinator, Professor Emmanuel Eyo, led a tour of three major project areas that have seen significant rehabilitation: Elijah Henshaw Street, Marina Beach, and Nasarawa Road.
Speaking to reporters, Prof. Eyo praised the governor for his swift response to environmental emergencies affecting urban communities.
“We are here today not just to inspect these critical intervention sites, but also to appreciate His Excellency, Governor Bassey Otu, for his visionary leadership and timely response to the erosion crisis affecting lives and livelihoods in Calabar,” Prof. Eyo said.
“From the reinforced drainage walls at Elijah Henshaw, to the stabilization work at Marina Beach, and the gully control at Nasarawa Road, we can see the results of good governance meeting urgent community needs.”
Elijah Henshaw, NEWMAP had previously reinforced a collapsed section of drainage infrastructure which cuts across the street and had posed a serious risk to nearby homes, roads, schools and businesses. The project team confirmed that the structural wall had since been strengthened and stabilized, preventing further collapse.
The tour also took the team to the Marina Beach axis, where a recent landslide had disrupted pedestrian and vehicular movement. Prof. Eyo noted that the intervention was deliberately timed with the rainy season to ensure the terrain could be accurately assessed and reinforced accordingly.
“We waited for the rains so we could observe the most critical points of soil collapse,” he explained. “When we identified them, we came back to do proper backfilling and concrete works to hold the soil together and prevent future caving in.”
At Nasarawa Road, the delegation was received by Alhaji Sarki Sanni Baba Gombe, the traditional head of the Hausa community in Nasarawa, who expressed deep gratitude to both the state government and NEWMAP for the life-saving intervention.
“More than eleven communities use this road daily,” Alhaji Sanni Baba Gombe stated. “Without the governor’s intervention, this road would have been completely impassable by now. We thank Almighty Allah and we thank Governor Otu for acting quickly to protect lives.”
He also recounted how the community had raised the issue with top government officials during previous engagements, and was pleased to see tangible outcomes.
“We even met with the Chief of Staff, and also spoke about the fire outbreak at Bogobiri and the erosion here. His Excellency didn’t just listen—he acted. This intervention means more to us than anything money could buy,” he added.
Prof. Eyo assured the community that follow-up assessments for other sites would continue: “We’ll be back here on Monday to reassess the site,” he told residents. “I’ll personally brief the governor again. What we’ve done so far is commendable, but we know more still needs to be done.”
The Democracy Day visit doubled as both an inspection tour and a gesture of solidarity with the people of Cross River, as the state government continues to confront environmental degradation head-on.
NEWMAP’s interventions are part of broader efforts to address the impacts of urban flooding, erosion, and infrastructure collapse in vulnerable communities.
