Flood displaces village head, over 500 residents, 120 houses in A’Ibom

Ini Billie, Uyo

The village head of Ikot Obio Atai in Itu Local Government, Chief Mkpong Mkpong, has deserted his palace in the last 10 years as floodwaters ravaged the property and those of over 500 residents and 120 houses.

According to the chief, he was forced to flee his palace at No 85 Urua Ekpa Road, noting that he has relocated to Udo Usanga Street, where he holds court.

Mkpong, who said the flood problem was beyond the village capacity to handle, stated that it has taken over more than a three-kilometre radius of the village.

He added that though the community has written several letters to successive state governments on the problem, it has not yielded any result.

He said: “The community has written to the government till date, nothing has happened, since 1999, nothing has happened. If it was possible, the community would have addressed the problem, it is difficult for us.

“Governor Udom Emmanuel should come and help us; we are all members of PDP.  It is sad that even the village head’s house is under water and yet they say that Akwa Ibom is beautiful.”

The floodwater has affected other streets in the area including Afaha Oku, Imo, Udo Usanga, among others, as well as more than 120 houses, and more than 500 indigenes and non-indigenes residents, turning some locals into refugees in their community.

The floodwater further causes gully erosion along Akpan Etong street which has swallowed some houses as well as recently caused the death of a man there.

Speaking on the flooded areas, Mr Kufre Edidem, a member representing Itu in the State House of Assembly, and an indigene of Ikot Obio Atai, said he was the Chairman of Itu local government area when the flood menace started during the administration of Godswill Akpabio.

Edidem started that as LG Chairman, the government only referred him to the then deputy governor, who facilitated the visit of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to the village where relief materials were shared among the victims.

He mentioned that as a lawmaker, he facilitated the visit of the Commissioner for Environment and Works to inspect the flood site and has forwarded the people complaints to the state government.

He expressed hope that work on the flood site will be included in the 2022 budget of the state, saying, “By God’s special grace, I am sure it will be in the budget by next year.

“If you want the problem solved, it is when you are a legislator and you don’t have a good relationship with the executive and the executive does not listen to you, that is when you bring the matter to the floor of the house is to catch the attention of the executive.

“But if the executive is already listening to you, the commissioner for finance, commissioner for environment followed me, they made the engineering drawings and they are working on next year budget; it has been put in the budget,” he stated.

A Garri seller, who simply identified herself as Mercy lamented that the flood has crippled their businesses as business owners and students of the University of Uyo, who make up most of the tenants in the area have left the environment.

She stated that areas like Udoette, UNIUYO, and Itam market among others contribute to the flooding of the area which is the lowest point around.

A Keke rider and resident in the area, Titus Sunday said, “my room is flooded anytime it rains. When it rains like two or three hours, we relocate from our rooms. If you were here yesterday when it rained, you will not come up to this point”.

Sunday stated that they were forced to live there because they lack the money to rent new accommodation or build new houses, saying, ‘therefore after rain, we scoop water and go back to our wet rooms”.

The landlord of 41 Urua Ekpa Road, Mr Ekpe Asukwo, mentioned that residents cannot quantify their losses over the years because of the menace, and appealed to the state government to come to their rescue.