Calabar-Itu road Gully Erosion: Otobong Ndem submits Ad-Hoc Committee report

Hon. (Engr.) Otobong Ndem

BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

Following the inspection of the gully erosion site at Enen Atai Itam along Calabar-Itu road by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Ad-Hoc Committee on Friday June 26, 2015, the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee and member representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency, Hon. (Engr.) Otobong Ndem during last Tuesday’s sitting submitted the committee’s report to the House of Assembly.

The Ad-Hoc committee chairman said during inspection of the gully erosion site, the committee observed that there was serious erosion menace on Calabar-Itu road around Enen Atai Itam which almost cut of the road and that erosion has created very deep tunnel which is a serious threat to lives and properties.
Engr. Otobong Ndem said that the committee had observed that there was another collapse section of the road created by the erosion at the head bridge around Eyadehe, Ikot Udoh Itam which is at a point of complete collapse of that section of the road, and that the State Government through the Ministry of Works should take a remedial action to protect the road from further washing away and collapse also prevent further havocs of gully erosion especially those related to underlying geology.
Hon. Ndem noted that the entire Calabar-Itu road is in deplorable state and that there is a need urgent Federal attention, adding that road which was long constructed should be reconstructed by the Federal Government to meet the standard of modern days-road construction design and specifications.
The Ad-hoc committee chairman however made some recommendations which include: that a retaining wall should be built to protect further encroachment; that the gullies should be filled with soil or mixed material with (boulders) shaped and compacted and construction of banks to divert surface runoff.
Other recommendations from the committee chairman are that after filling, the edge should be embarked with mass concrete and tree planting recommended for gully stabilization, since subsurface and groundwater flows can be intercepted by deep rooted trees as well as stakeholders should discourage all practices that are capable of initiating or speeding the phenomenon in Akwa Ibom State.
Engr. Otobong Ndem concluded by saying if all the suggested solutions are carefully look into, gully erosion in the State would be drastically reduced and lives would also be secured.