By Anietie Akpan
Heavy rain storm on Wednesday, May 7, wrecked havoc in the city of Calabar, Cross River State pulling down trees, electric poles and rooftops of many houses.
Findings by Pillar Today showed that about 20 trees, poles and others were uprooted or destroyed in many streets like Spring road, Atekong road, State Housing Police Station, the road by Zenith bank highway, NEWMAP by Bishop Monya, Bateba, Asari Iso, Diamond hill and others during the storm on Wednesday.
Following this development the State House of Assembly has called for the immediate cut down of all old trees just as the State Government has sued for caution among residents.
Last year, precisely November 10, 2024, heavy rainstorm pulled down over 40 aged trees in Calabar and destroyed many houses and electric poles with cables. Same year, without any storm, a tree along the Murtala Mohammed highway by SUBEB fell and killed a staff of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar who was in a mini bus.
A shocking incident in that November 10 rainstorm last year, was how the storm uprooted not less than 18 trees along the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) road at Esuk Utan in just one swoop making the road impassable for hours. Up till now the stumps of the trees are there.
Bateba by Marian hill.
In a bid to protect lives and property during windstorms, the State House of Assembly has called on the State Government through its relevant agencies to trim or cut down trees that are under or taller than the power transmission lines and replace them with new ones.
A release on Thursday by the Information Officer to the House, Mrs Itam Offor, said the House took the decision sequel to a Motion moved by the Member representing Biase State Constituency, Hon Ogban Francis Onette who decried the havoc caused by old trees in Calabar Metropolis.
“Governor Donald Duke, over twenty years ago planted most of the trees to add beauty and prevent erosion. Presently, most of the trees have over stayed their welcome or the purpose for which they were planted.” Onettte stated.
The Biase Legislator listed several instances when trees fell causing serious damage to lives and property.
He said, “last year a tree fell on a power transmission line along Harbour Road and this brought total blackout on some areas for about two weeks… Two weeks ago, a tree fell along the UCTH cc cc Road, destroying people’s property. Last week, another tree fell on someone’s car along the Highway destroying the car while another one fell, just by Federal Housing Junction, obstructing the flow of traffic.”
Diamond hill by State Police Headquarters.
While lending their voices to the motion, the Legislators unanimously decried the havoc caused by old and overgrown trees across the State.
They noted that, though the trees were planted to beautify the environment, serve as windbreakers and provide shade, many of them have grown old and have become a risk and a danger to the Society.
The Lawmakers urged the State Government through the Ministry of Environment to replace these old trees to prevent further damage to lives and property.
On his part, the Speaker of the 10th Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem commended the Lawmakers for supporting the motion.
He expressed sadness over the lives that have been lost in accidents involving falling trees during windstorms and reiterated the urgent need to trim or cut them off emphasizing the need for the Ministry of Environment to embark on the planting of new trees to replace the old and weak ones.
Hope Waddel road by stadium.
Equally reacting to the rainstorm incident, the State Government drew the attention of the entire citizenry of the State, especially residents of Calabar Metropolis and other adjoining Local Government Areas in the Southern Senatorial District, to the heavy rains and windstorm of Wednesday, 7th May, 2025 and the accompanying destruction of houses, electricity poles and trees in the city centre.
The government in a statement dated May 7, by the Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, further advised residents “to take precautions by trimming falling down and outgrown trees in and around their vicinity while at the same time ensuring that they avoid broken down electricity poles and wires to ward off any impending danger or fatalities.
“Government hereby implores all relevant Government Agencies and officials of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company in particular to swiftly move into action to rectify all damages caused to electricity facilities in the wake of the Rain/Windstorm with a view to restoring power supply and clearing the debris in the overall interest of the citizens”.
In the meantime, he said, “residents who do not have any serious business going out on the streets and roads are hereby enjoined to remain indoors until normalcy is restored.
“Finally, the Government solicits the cooperation and understanding of residents so we do not register any casualty, please”.
So far some of the trees have been cut and removed from the roads by some government agencies and community efforts while the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, (PHED) is making frantic efforts to restore power supply that has been disrupted in most parts of the city.