UYO—AN unprecedented flood in the history of Akwa Ibom State has sweptthrough Itak Abasi fishing community in Ibeno Local Government Area ofthe state leaving in its trail six persons dead and 17 others missing.
No fewer than 40 fishingboats were also swept into the Atlantic Ocean by the flood. The villagers who described the incident as atsunami, said the flood swept more than three quarters of their oncelively community into the ocean.
Governor Akpabio who visited the island, weekend, expressed sadness over the disaster, assuring that he would take care of the victims andensure that they were relocated in a safe settlement.
The governor also directed the Local Government Council to gazette names of all victims affected and to forward the list to his office.
Akpabio who was touched by the plight of the victims, asked the council Chairman to arrange a make shift shelter for the people who hadbeen suddenly rendered homeless as the agony of those who lost theirloved ones lingered.
However, Vanguard learnt that Akwa Ibom State Government might not be able to address what appeared to be its worst flood disaster alone,except the Federal Government and the other agencies collaborated withit.
Executive Director, Projects, of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Arc. Esoetok Etteh who hails from the area toldVanguard that the 15, 000 strong citizens of the settlement needed helpas the flood had wrecked havoc on them.
Some of the residents told Vanguard that they were worried because the flood had washed away nearly all their fishing materials and hadtaken over their only primary school and health centre.
Vanguard was told that the attention of ExxonMobil, a U.S. international oil company was drawn to the impending danger, but thatthe company was allegedly insensitive to their plight. Vanguard alsolearnt that in 2002, Hon. Nduese Essien, the current Minister, Housingand Urban Development had advised the people of Ibeno to channel thematter to NDDC and the National Assembly through him.
In 2008, the Senate Committee on Environment visited the area with Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, andrecommended what should have been done in the area.
Vanguard investigation revealed that NDDC had allegedly awarded the contract to reclaim the land, said to be receding at about four metresyearly to a certain firm at the contract value of N6 billion, but threeyears after, nothing had been done even when the said firm had loadedshoreline protection equipment that had long been rotting at Upenkangvillage in Ibeno.
Councilor representing Ward II of the local council, Patrick Usenekong, who was evacuating some of the people trapped by the flood,told Vanguard that some of the people trapped by the flood now lived ontop of their houses or on roof tops.
Usenekong said: “We haven’t seen anything like this in a decade. The last this happened was 25 years ago.”
At press time NDDC had donated relief materials worth about N500,000 comprising 700 tubers of yam, 60 bags of rice, 60 gallons of groundnutoil and other food items.
NEMA also donated materials worth N5 million including 300 mattresses,300 bags of rice, 300 buckets for carrying water, 30 bags of beans,while ExxonMobil was said to have only made promises of support.
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