Odukpani Fire, Landslides: Residents Await Details Of Government Intervention

CROSS RIVER, CALABAR – For families whose businesses and properties were destroyed by the fire disaster in Odukpani, the immediate concern now extends beyond the damage to what help, if any, government will provide and when.

The question comes as Cross River State Governor, Bassey Edet Otu, visited the affected fire site and some areas impacted by landslides to assess the extent of the destruction.

In a statement posted on his social media handle and sighted by Truth Live News, Governor Otu acknowledged the hardship suffered by affected residents and said the government was considering intervention.

The governor said many of the properties and businesses destroyed in the fire were not merely assets but the means through which affected families provided for themselves.

“It is, therefore, deeply painful to witness such devastation,” Otu said.

He also said he visited some of the areas affected by landslides to personally assess the extent of the damage.

According to him, the government is “deeply concerned” about the impact of the incidents on residents.

“We will consult with the relevant authorities and stakeholders and take appropriate steps to provide intervention and ameliorate the hardship occasioned by these unfortunate occurrences,” the governor said.

However, the statement did not specify the nature or value of the proposed intervention, the beneficiaries, or when assistance would be delivered.

For affected families whose businesses and means of livelihood have been lost, those details could determine how quickly they are able to recover from the disasters.

The governor, however, reaffirmed that the people remained the government’s priority, promising that his administration would continue to stand with residents during difficult periods.