INI BILLIE, Uyo
The village head of Ikot Obio Atai in Itu Local Government, Chief Mkpong Mkpong has deserted his palace as floodwaters ravaged the property and those of over 120 houses inhabiting over 500 residents.
The chief said the flood which has ravaged the area since the last 10 years, forced him to flee his palace at No 85 Urua Ekpa Road, adding that he had 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 had taken over more than the 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 said that even the village head’s house is underwater 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 resident in the area, turning some locals into refugees in their community.
The floodwater further causes gully erosion along Akpan Etong street which has swallowed some houses. It also recently caused the death of a man in the area.
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 LGA when the flood menace started during the administration of Godswill Akpabio.
Edidem stated 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 had forwarded the people complaints to the state government.
He expressed hope that work on the flood site would be included in the 2022 budget of the state.
He said, “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’s budget; it has been put in the budget.”
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 for like two or three hours, we relocate from our rooms. If you were here yesterday when it rained, you would not come up to this point”.
Sunday stated that they were forced to live there because they lacked the money to rent new accommodation or build new houses. “Therefore, after rain, we scoop water and go back to our wet rooms,” he said.
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.