By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
Governor Bassey Otu has intensified the Cross River State Government’s response to the recent flood and landslide disasters in Calabar by providing financial assistance to bereaved families and launching a comprehensive health intervention for affected communities.
The governor, through his Special Adviser on General Duties, Barr. Ekpenyong Akiba, presented cash support to families who lost loved ones in the disasters. Beneficiaries included Mr. Kingsley Etim, who lost four children in the Ikot Anwatim landslide; Miss Sunday Jennifer, whose father died while trying to rescue the children; and Mrs. Chinonso Dominic, who lost her one-month-old baby after floodwaters swept the child away on Elijah Henshaw Street.
Akiba conveyed Governor Otu’s condolences, stressing that no amount of money could replace the lives lost but saying the assistance was meant to ease the immediate burden on the families and reassure them that government stands with them in their grief.
Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), Mr. Efa Nyong, said the agency has remained actively engaged through rapid assessments, temporary shelter support and collaboration with humanitarian partners to ensure continued assistance for disaster victims across the state.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Kingsley Etim thanked Governor Otu for fulfilling his promise to support the affected families, describing the gesture as a source of hope despite their painful loss.
In a related intervention, the Ministry of Health, led by Commissioner Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, commenced the mapping of affected households in hard-hit communities, including Atu, to pave the way for the distribution of medicines, mosquito nets and other essential health commodities aimed at preventing disease outbreaks.
Ayuk said the exercise, carried out on the governor’s directive, would be completed within days before relief materials are distributed. He noted that many displaced residents are now living in overcrowded conditions that increase the risk of malaria and other infections.
The commissioner added that the ministry would work with the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency to strengthen nearby health facilities while disease surveillance teams monitor public health risks arising from the flooding.
During the assessment, Governor Otu spoke by telephone with residents, assuring them that government would continue to mobilise resources to ease their suffering. He described the disaster as a stark reminder of the growing impact of climate change and pledged sustained support for affected communities.
Community leader Chief Francis Ekpenyong commended the governor’s prompt intervention and the Ministry of Health’s response, expressing confidence that the financial assistance, medical support and other planned interventions would help victims begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives.
