Flood sacks village head, renders thousands homeless in A’Ibom

NO fewer than 150 houses had been taken over by the flood while more than 1,000 residents have also been rendered homeless in Ikot Obio Atai, Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the flood affected many adjoining streets in the community, including Afaha Oku, Imo, Udo Usanga , among others.

The flood has also caused a gully on Akpan Etong street where some houses had sunk and the area a deathtraps to the people living around.

It was further gathered that the palace of Ikot Obio Atai, Ete Idung Mkpong Okon Mkpong had been submerged some years back which led the traditional ruler to flee and relocate to Udo Usanga Street where he built another house.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, the member representing Itu state constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Honourable Kufre Edidem, who is also an indigene of Ikot Obio Atai, said he was the chairman of Itu Local Government Area during the administration of Godswill Akpabio when the flood menace started.

He recalled that all the state government could do as of that time was to refer him to the then deputy governor, who facilitated officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to visit the village and share relief materials among the victims.

Edidem claimed that as a member of the state’s assembly, he took the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Works to inspect the flood site.

He said he had forwarded the complaint to the state government, expressing the hope that work on the flood site would be included in the 2023 Akwa Ibom State budget, “I am sure it will be in the budget of next year,” he said.

On why he had not brought the issue before the assembly under the Matter of Urgent Public Importance, Edidem said:”Do you want the thing on the floor or 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 matters 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 and Commissioner for Environment had come to areas that submerged by the flood. They are working on next year budget and I want to say loud and clear that it has been incorporated in the next year’s budget.”

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