The Senate on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to urgently release funds from the Ecological Fund to tackle gully erosion and landslides threatening communities in Cross River South.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance by Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) on the recurring ecological emergency in Calabar metropolis and adjoining areas.

Ekpenyong said the disaster has claimed lives, destroyed homes and displaced residents in Atakpa, Edim Otop, Ikot Effangha Mkpa, Nyaghasang, Ikot Anwatim, Nasarawa/Bacoco, Akai Effa, Bayside, Summit Hills and Anansa.

He recalled that a July 2026 landslide at Ikot Anwatim killed five persons, including four siblings, destroyed two houses and injured two others.

He said another landslide at Edim Otop claimed the life of an eight-year-old girl, leaving families traumatised.

Ekpenyong blamed poorly designed drainage, rapid urbanisation, blocked drains, indiscriminate waste disposal, unregulated sand mining, vegetation removal and poor land-use.

He warned that isolated remedial works without coordinated watershed planning could shift erosion risks to neighbouring communities.

“Further delay risks additional deaths, deeper displacement and greater destruction,” he said, demanding emergency mobilisation of federal resources.

He called for temporary shelter, food, medical and psychosocial support for affected families, and safe evacuation for those in imminent danger.

Contributing, Sen. Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South) sympathised with affected communities and backed urgent federal intervention.

The Senate urged the Federal Government to approve and release adequate resources for emergency stabilisation and comprehensive remediation.

It mandated the Federal Ministry of Environment, working with Cross River government, to assess dangerous sites and commence protective works.

It also directed NEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency and local councils to provide immediate relief to bereaved and displaced families.

The chamber called for early-warning systems and continuous monitoring of unstable slopes to enable timely evacuation.

It further urged Ministries of Environment and Works to prioritise erosion-control funding backed by geotechnical and hydrological assessments.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio mandated the Committee on Environment to assess affected locations, engage relevant agencies on funding, and submit recommendations for further legislative action.