Epidemic, poverty loom in Akwa Ibom as flooding escalates

Residents of Akwa Ibom, one of the coastal states in Nigeria are on red alert as flood sweeps across homes, with no solution in sight.

Recall that Akwa Ibom was among the 10 states listed by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) that would experience a high impact risk of flooding in 2024.

Only recently, Joseph Utserv, the Minister of Water Resources said that some states had already started experiencing varying levels of flooding and its associated disasters.

He stated that most of the flood incidents recorded so far were flash or urban flood, resulting from high rainfall and poor or blocked drainage systems.

However, Akwa Ibom is among the states witnessing the impact of flooding primarily from the consistent rainfalls, worsened by blocked drainages and illegal structures built on the waterways.

Residents of Uyo metropolis such as Udoette, school road, Nelson Mandela, Urua Ekpa, Oron Road, Abak Road, just to mention but a few, count losses each time it rains as their houses and shops get flooded.

Also, residents of Eket, in the Eket local government area of the state are not spared.

A resident of Edohoeket Street, in Eket, Mr. Samuel Esu lamented that properties worth several millions of naira were affected by the heavy downpour of last Friday, even as he attributed the flooding to improper channelling of flood water that led to blockage.

Apart from the economic losses, the state had witnessed human loss to flood.

A fortnight ago, a retired Director of a Ministry, lost his life at his residence in Ewet housing estate, Uyo, as his building was submerged at night.

Also, a security man with one of the new generation banks last year met his untimely death as he was drowned in flood along Grace Bill Road, Eket.

According to one Mrs Iquo Uwah, who witnessed the incident; while the deceased was returning home, he could not identify the end of the road and the beginning of the gutter as the entire place was flooded.

He mistakenly slipped into the gutters which took him away and his corpse recovered later in the day.

Similarly, a trader in Nkemba street by Abak Road, Uyo, met her untimely death when she was returning from market and fell inside a gutter. Her corpse is yet to be recovered.

It was also reported that no fewer than three communities, which include Nung Obio Enang, along Stadium Road, Urua Ekpa axis and Afaha Oku villages in Uyo metropolis were last week submerged by flood and the people sacked from their homes.

 

In a “Save Our Souls’ letter by the village council of Afaha Oku villages, signed by Eteidung Emmanuel Eka and the secretary, Sipol Cosmos Ebong and made available to our correspondent, the community leaders said flood had threatened the foundation of the village, with some buildings collapsing.

The village, which is the host community of the University of Uyo, appealed to Governor Umo Eno to award a contract to rehabilitate the affected roads for residents to return to their houses.

One of the victims, Mr Etop Effiong, who spoke with our correspondent, said the flood has been a perennial problem that confronts residents in the last 12 years, adding that the issue worsened after the construction of Stadium Road by Julius Berger during the administration of Senator Godswill Akpabio.

He said the construction firm lifted up the road without drainage to channel the water away from compounds, adding that during heavy rainfalls and throughout the rainy season, they had to quit from their houses before water dries up in their houses.

In Urua Ekpa, the residents said the condition of the area became worse when the state government awarded a flood control project to a local contractor (name withheld) who ended up throwing the entire community into irredeemable flood.

FG, states not doing enough – Activist

Describing flooding as a recurring decimal in Nigeria, an activist and chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network(CHRAN), Franklyn Isong said he had expected the state and the federal governments to take proactive measures in mitigating the impact of flooding having been warned by NIMET.

He accused government agencies of being complicit by keeping blind eyes to people building on waterways and drainages.

He said, “when these houses were built, were they not given approval? I know there is a government agency meant to regulate when people are building on illegal places, obstructing the drainages and waterways, what was the approach the government took to addressing this issue?

“Secondly, when the gutters were blocked, what is the relevant government agency doing to evacuate and distill the gutters?”

An environmental researcher and consultant, Dr. Ifeoma Uzoma speaking with DAILY POST said with the high incident of flooding in Akwa Ibom, the state is susceptible to drowning risks, waterborne diseases, disruption of essential services (electricity, water, sanitation), habitat destruction, economic losses, disruption of businesses and environmental damages.

Giving insight to the causes of flooding, she said, “In recent times, there has been an increase in extreme climatic events.

“The heat waves experienced early in the year led to discomfort, illnesses and deaths.

“Currently, the rains have come and the floods have taken over. All these are part of the changes in climate that we have started to experience.

“Climate change refers to the long-term warming of the planet, which is primarily caused by the increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.

“These gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat from the sun and prevent it from being released back into space, leading to a rise in global temperatures,” she stated.

Speaking on ways to mitigate flooding, Uzoma said it required a multi-faceted approach that combined engineering, ecology, and community preparedness, stressing that communities and government must join hands to tackle the menace.

While urging residents to desist from dumping refuse on waterways, she encouraged those who live in flood-prone areas to relocate from their homes and comfort zones to prevent avoidable deaths and loss of valuable properties.

She added, “We must establish monitoring and alert systems to evacuate people before floods hit.

“We can identify and map high-risk areas to inform urban planning and emergency preparedness.”

However, some residents seem to have defied every entreaty by the government to vacate their homes for a safer place.

They, however, attributed this to lack of compensation or provision of a better place.

This could be seen in the case of the retired director who died in his submerged house in Ewet Housing, as reports had it that he refused to vacate his building as advised.

Speaking further on mitigation, Uzoma said, “flood can be mitigated through flood-plain management where we regulate development in flood-prone areas and maintain natural buffers like wetlands and flood-plains.

“We must build structural barriers like levees and dams to contain floodwaters.

“Construct flood-control channels like gutters, underground piping to divert flood waters away from populated areas.

“We must build structures with flood-resistant materials and designs. To do these, we must design and build infrastructure to withstand projected flood scenarios.

“Stormwater management systems like ponds, lakes, and underground storage to manage rainfall runoff should be implemented.

“Watershed management is compulsory. We must protect and restore natural water cycles and habitats.”

Akwa Ibom State government not resting – Commissioner

Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom State government said it has reactivated its Emergency Protocol Management System and commissioned a trip to the estuaries to see the state of the banks.

The Commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong said the state had also reactivated the health protocol requisite to address all health issues that might arise from flooding.

“We have reactivated the Emergency Protocol Management System meaning that gutters and drainages must be desilted, which is why you see that sanitation exercise is ongoing.

“We commissioned a trip to the estuaries to see the state of the banks and have reactivated the health protocol requisite for that, because you know that immediately that happens, it will be a health issue, agriculture internal security and information have been on board to see that emergency issues are tackled,” the Commissioner stated.

He said the management protocols were on the alert to tackle any issue that may come due to flooding.