By Princewill Kingston
The Calabar Urban Development Authority, CUDA, has kickstarted the opening up of blocked drainages from the Walkover Bus Stop to Unique Schools in 8 miles, Calabar which had caused uncontrollable flooding of the area thereby constituting a menace to residents and commuters for months now.
PillarToday gathered that the area is always flooded heavily at the slightest rainfall with erosion destroying household belongings and causing heavy gridlock along that axis of the Murtala Muhammed highway.
In a chat, Mr Emmanuel Ekpo, the chairman of CUDA Task Force, who spoke on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Chief Dr Ayi Etim Effiong, said government was determined to solve erosion challenges across the metropolis but warned that residents caught dumping refuse directly into drainages would be apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
Mr Ekpo said the rehabilitation works at that site would be carried out at least thrice yearly and that CUDA was increasing its sensitization efforts on the effects of blocking drainages with refuse.
“Our Executive Secretary saw the need to evacuate this place after the outcry has been so much and so loud. He approached His Excellency who in his kindness approved that we intervene
‘We had worked on this place about two years ago but this time around, the approach is going to be different. We are going to do it repeatedly, as often as possible, especially during the rains.
“And then not only stop at that, we will also make sure that our enforcement team comes around this area to stop residents from dumping wastes directly into the drainages, which is what blocks the drainage.
“It’s very expensive embarking on this type of intervention. Most of what is happening here is mechanical. The excavator is hired, the trucks that are used here are hired and are very expensive. But we are going to try to do it between three to four times a year, and that will go a long way to further open up the drainage,” he told PillarToday.
The Task Force Chairman vowed that his team would intensify efforts to stop the anomaly of indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
“For the past two years since the inception of this administration, we have been working, especially as it concerns the refuse and sanitation situation in the metropolis. You may have been aware or may have heard how we have been going around sensitizing the residents of the metropolis.
“For almost three to four months, we were just going around sensitizing them on social media, radio, television and all other medium of communication but it seems that our appeal to them is falling on deaf ears.
“The residents are very difficult people. They are still insisting on living the same way they used to live before now. You could observe a situation that despite that a waste bin is empty, a human being would go and dump his/her waste on the ground
“And it’s amazing because you people are the ones crying that government should come and help with the refuse situation. And when you take your refuse from your house, sometimes a short distance from your house, when you get there, you dump the refuse on the ground.
“We have done this sensitization and it costs government a fortune. We have done sensitization on the radio, television and print media, including jingles.
“We had apprehended and taken a couple of residents to court, some who go to court paid fine, because it’s not necessarily punitive, it’s just corrective, so that others will hear what happened to their neighbors and sit up.
“There was a situation where we arrested a particular man for three consecutive times, the same person, the same offense, we took him to court. The third time, the magistrate got angry and then sentenced him without an option of fine to six months in prison.
“CUDA has done so much with the help of His Excellency providing the necessary funds and logistics for these operations but residents should also reciprocate this noble gesture,” he concluded
