IBB Road flood: Uyo residents urge government to tackle menace

Etim Ekpimah

Residents of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, have expressed concern over the persistent flooding of IBB Road, popularly known as Two-Lane. They lamented that despite light rainfall on Sunday, September 21, 2025, the road was submerged as though the city had experienced a downpour.

A resident, Mr Gideon Edet, said the situation had become unbearable.

“This road has always been like this. If the rain had lasted longer, people and vehicles would not have been able to pass. The flooding here is always too much. We hope the government will urgently intervene,” he said.

Edet added that flooding was not limited to IBB Road, citing adjoining streets such as Urua Akpan Andem Road and Aka Itiam Street, especially around the traffic light area.

“Uyo streets are generally deplorable. Gutters have not been desilted since the end of Udom Emmanuel’s tenure. Governor Umo Eno should please fix the roads and tackle sanitation. Refuse is everywhere in Uyo now, which is unusual for the state,” he said.

Another resident, Mrs Ndifreke Isaac, lamented that flooding often prevented women from accessing Urua Akpan Andem Market, as the waters swept through homes and stalls.

She appealed to the governor to “save Akwa Ibom people the hassle of running helter-skelter during the rainy season.”

Responding, the Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Mr Nsikak Ekong, said the government had set up a committee to investigate the recurring flood challenge.

“The committee, comprising the Commissioners for Works, Humanitarian Affairs, and myself, discovered that most of the drains are completely blocked. There is little we can do this rainy season, but we plead for patience. The government is fully aware of the situation on IBB Road,” Ekong explained.

He added that the state was also addressing wider environmental concerns caused by population growth and increased waste generation.

“We are partnering with a firm to tackle waste management. Solid and liquid waste will be separated, and residents will be educated on proper disposal. Even liquid waste can be used to generate energy,” the commissioner said.