By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Over 200 residents of Emankpa Egbong and other communities in Ekajuk in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River have been rendered homeless following a heavy windstorm recently.
Over 30 residential and public buildings were ravaged by the windstorm as houses had their roofs blown off and walls pulled down.
An eyewitness said the devastating storm which was accompanied by heavy rains destroyed household property, economic crops such as pears,mangoes,oranges,pawpaw and plantain.
In Mankpa community, Mr Kenneth Monfem, described the situation as pathetic as victims were now squatting with neighbors and relatives while members of churches destroyed now worshiped under tree shades.
Monfem who thanked God that no life was lost said that “many people sustained various degrees of injury”.
He appealed to the state government to assist the victims to recover from their traumatic experiences in order not to further aggravate their sufferings as the rains set in.
Meanwhile, the Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. John Inaku, who came to assess the situation assured that the list of the victims would be forwarded to the governor for intervention.
He noted that in most of the communities affected, there were no significant windbreakers and called for a comprehensive strategy by community leaders and individuals to aggressively embark on tree planting programmes which will act as wind breakers to help forestall future occurrence.
