In the Ikot Obio Atai community of Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom State, floods have displaced over 500 people and destroyed over 120 homes.
The flood has reportedly engulfed the village leader of the community, Mkpong Okon Mkpong’s palace, forcing him to relocate to Udo Usanga street.
The community’s village leader, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, urged the state government to assist the community, saying the flood was beyond the village’s capacity to handle.
He bemoaned the fact that the community had written multiple letters to previous state governments, all of which had gone unanswered.
”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 the PDP. It is sad that even the village head’s house is underwater and yet they say that Akwa Ibom is beautiful.” the monarch lamented.
Hon Kufre Edidem, a member of the State House of Assembly representing Itu State Constituency and a native of the community, said the flood began when he was chairman of the Itu Local Government Council during the administration of Godswill Akpabio.
He recalled that the state government referred him to the deputy governor at the time, who arranged for representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency to visit the community and provide relief supplies to the victims.
The legislator stated that he had invited the state Commissioner of Environment and Works to the flood site to check it, and that he had submitted the concerns to the state government.
“Do you want the thing on the floor or do you want the problem solved? So 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 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 it for next year’s budget, and it has been put in the budget, so what do you want the matter on the floor? It is for sensationalism or what?” he queried.
The flooded location is less than two kilometers from the main entrance of the University of Uyo’s Town Campus.
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