Flood destroys property worth millions of naira in A’Ibom community

Emmanuel Ekpo, Uyo

Many residents of Odoro Atasung village in Nsit-Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have lost property worth millions of naira to flood.

The flood which happened in the early hours of Saturday after a downpour, submerged residential houses and wreaked havoc on crops.

It was learned that the flood also overrun the streets and destroyed farm crops like maize, cassava, okra, plants, among others.

A resident of the community, Tommy Jackson, told our correspondent in Uyo on Wednesday that the community has been going through a tough period since the disaster struck.

He called on the state government to rescue the community from the menace of flooding, adding that flood has become a perennial issue in the community.

According to him, the community decided to dig a three-kilometre gutter to channel the water to the Okpoyo River.

“The youths and the entire member of Odoro Atasung community in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area are distressed the on-going flood. The downpour in the early morning on Saturday June 12, 2021 swallowed another mud house in the community and destroyed other houses, farms, and crops.

“The youths having waited in vain for a long period of time for the state government to come to their aid decided to kickstart a community operation tagged ‘Operation Flood Must Go in Our Community.’

“The operation is to dig a 3-kilometre gutter to channel the flood in the community to the Okpoyo River. The 3-kilometre drainage embarked by the youths and the community members is because flood has become a great menace to the community; life has become a nightmare, and since then life has not returned to normalcy,” he stated.

Another community member, Mr Emmanuel Ntuk blamed the yearly flooding on the grading of the community road in 2015.

According to him the construction firm failed to dig appropriate channels, adding that when it rains no matter how little, the entire community is flooded.

He also called on the state government to urgently intervene in the matter to save the community from the perennial flooding.

“We are calling on the state government to come to our aid to save us from this menace, it’s beyond our community efforts,” he said.