Residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital are now facing  a serious challenge contending with flood. Last weekend, the city was again flooded following the heavy rains.Before now, Calabar  had one of the best drainage systems in the country. Then, drainages were cleared regularly making for easy flow of rain water; unfortunately, the situation has changed. The drainage systems are no longer de-silted, resulting in serious flooding.

The rain is  usually described by many as ‘Showers of Blessing.’ Farmers always rely on the heavens to open for them to have bountiful harvest.  Herdsmen also rely on the rains for the field to be green for their herds (cattle and sheep) to graze.Unfortunately, the reverse was the case as the expected rains have become more of a curse. The heavy down pour experienced in most parts of the country has left in its trail tales of woes.

The sustainable use of natural resources is the optimum benchmark against which the economic growth and social development of nations is measured. It was for this reason that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, was established in 2007 by the Nigerian government.

The N6 billion investment by the Edo State government to deflood the state capital, Benin, which was flagged-off  city governor Adams Oshiomhole, has suffered its first casualty with the demolition of two landed properties located on what government sources say is the flood channel’s right of way.

For three years, Simon Akande, a 100 level student of agricultural engineering in one of the federal universities had registered and sat for the Senior Secondary School Examination, SSCE. But each year he wrote the examination, he would not make up to four credits. He became so demoralised and began to feel all hope was lost. But when his neighbour, an indigene of Benue State told him that he could pass all his papers including Mathematics and English in any rural school in the state, his hope was rekindled.

For people living close to the many quarry sites in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, help may still be far from them as they continue to face many challenges resulting from indiscriminate stone blasting by construction companies. In spite of the many warnings by government regulatory agencies instructing these construction companies to uphold the country’s environmental laws, there has been constant rock blastings especially at Mpape, a suburb in the capital city, with little regard on the effects it has on people living in these areas.

ir, a volcanic eruption is said to have taken place in Kwande Local Government Area of the state; what effort has your office made in assessing the situation?