...Appeals For Urgent Intervention To Avert More Disasters As 4year Old Girl Drowns
The erosion menace in Ekpri Nsukara Offot in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has worsened following recent heavy rainfalls.
The ravaging erosion has rendered some streets in the thickly populated community impassable while some houses are on the verge of being totally destroyed except the State Government intervenes to avert further disastrous consequences.
Recently, a four year old girl was reportedly drowned in the rampaging erosion and all efforts to rescue her proved abortive as she died in flood.
Lamenting over the sad development on Saturday, July 20, 2024, the Village Head of Ekpri Nsukara Offot, Eteidung Emem Denis Asikpo appealed passionately to the State Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno to save them from the erosion hazards.
Eteidung Asikpo explained that it is usually a period of “hue and cry” in Ekpri Nsukara Offot, whenever rainy season sets in, as heavy downpour washes off some streets and flood houses in the affected areas thereby chasing away inhabitants from their homes for days and sometimes weeks.
He said, “It is a very sad situation as you have witnesssed during your inspection. That is the situation we have faced for some years now when rainy season begins.
“Some streets in our community like Akpakpan Street, off Mission Road and other adjoining streets, are cut off. Residents can’t access their houses with cars or motorcycles any longer. Some fences of properties and houses have either been destroyed or flooded, while farmland are being submerged. Residents in the affected areas do face great risk in navigating to their houses when it rains especially at night.”
Eteidung Asikpo said the ugly development has made Ekpri Nsukara Offot, which situates along the Nwaniba Road axis of Uyo Capital City and a co-host of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), to face the threat of a potential gully erosion with its dire consequences of land degradation and environmental insecurity.
“We had earlier cried out that the fast-evolving gully erosion in parts of our community has cut off some streets from being accessible to motorists. It has also destroyed fences, while some houses have been flooded and others on the verge of being submerged, ” he added.
Some institutions of learning, including the community-owned Ekpri Nsukara Offot International Schools (ENISCO), and some private establishments are also under serious threat of devastation and possible submersion if the erosion is not addressed as soon as possible.
The village head further lamented that indigenes and residents so far affected by the erosion menance are now very helpless, thus making his community to stand the risk of serious environmental health hazards, except urgent remedy is provided by the government.
According to him, Ekpri Nsukara Offot community wants government to provide both remedial and permanent solutions to save lives, houses and other properties from further destruction.
Meanwhile, the flood has converted large acreage of farmlands in the community into stagnant pools with no immediate hope of the lands being utilised except when construction work commences to channel out the rainwater.
Eteidung Asikpo expressed hope that the administration of Pastor Eno will salvage the community from the perennial erosion menace as the governor has shown tremendous concern as encapsulated in the ARISE Agenda to address challenges facing the people and communities as well as develop rural areas.
