By Musa Yaro, Calabar
Cross River State governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has sought the intervention of the World Bank to address environmental issues in the state.
The governor made the call on Monday, when he inspected some erosion sites in the state capital, Calabar.
Otu, accompanied on the inspection by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey bemoaned the danger posed to residents of the affected areas and pledged to come up with short and medium interventions to safeguard lives and property.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Emmanuel Ogbeche, quoted Otu as saying that the inspection had become necessary for him to familiarise himself with some of the adverse erosion sites in the state capital such as in Lemna/Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and a failed drainage along Yellow Duke Road in Calabar South axis.
“We cannot allow something like this in the middle of the town.
“Looking at this it must have taken a lot of lives, and property.
“The World Bank has intervention programs that I intend to follow up with, and this has informed my being here.
“We will take a look at the drawings, see what the existing plans are, and work quickly to safeguard those who live around this area,” the governor said.
Assuring residents of the areas he visited, the governor said, “We are here to work for them, though resources are limited, we are going to work in the short and medium term to assure them that something is being done as against the long term,”
