Penultimate Thursday, July 18, 2019, the government of Akwa Ibom State apparently re-opened the stale chapter of the now familiar pestering menace of floods and erosion in the state, bringing its sobering contents on the table of discussion once again.
Courtesy of the fresh state Commissioner for Environment and Petroleum Resources, Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Ekong Sampson, the state government has deemed it pertinent at this point in the administration of Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel to direct government’s attention to this perennial and recurring disaster that has not only posed a severe threat to lives in the affected areas, but is fast claiming chunk of arable and inhabitable landmass from the people.
By this, the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria and relevant interventionist agencies is bound to be drawn to this plague that, when dastardly incidents recorded across the states of the federation are put together, the overall socio-economic and demographic losses of government are quite enormous.
Like other states of the federation, especially those around the coastal regions, Akwa Ibom has witnessed huge devastation arising from persistent seasonal floodings that have defied government effort to stem its tide of occurrences.
When the Hon. Commissioner embarked on an on-the-spot assessment tour of erosion and flood ravished sites in Akwa Ibom State a few days after assumption of office, it made clear government’s resolve, in conjunction with the federal government and relevant agencies, to fight the menace.
The Hon. Commissioner who had just assumed office Monday, July 15, 2019, and who carried out the exercise in company of top officials of his ministry and those of Nigerpet Structures Ltd., contractual erosion managers in the state, stated that it was pertinent for him to have an on-the-spot assessment of areas most affected by erosion and flood disaster in the state.
Addressing newsmen during the exercise, Ekong Sampson said “Now that I have just assumed office, I felt that I should have a firsthand knowledge about the state of affairs about our environment.
“What the public should expect is government intervention. We have a governor who is very passionate about the environment, and very passionate about the wellbeing of his people. That is why I am here to see things for myself, even under a heavy downpour like this.
“To me, it is better to inspect erosion and flood sites under the rain, so that I can see how the situation is really like. So, even under the rain I am here with my team and the officials of Nigerpet Structures Ltd., the company that has been working on a number of locations affected by gully erosion.”
The Environment Commissioner who reiterated the state government’s concern regarding the high level erosion disaster in the state, especially in the areas visited during the tour, hinted that the state governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, has directed that remedial measures be put in place as soon as possible.
He therefore appealed to the federal government for immediate intervention, as, according to him, “Akwa Ibom State is under threat”, saying it should see the erosion and flood situations in Akwa Ibom State as very peculiar and pressing, as the environment is under pressure.
On the preventive measures of government, Barr. Sampson noted that government is sensitizing the people on the need to take the issues of erosion and flood very seriously, even when undertaking their construction work, saying that “total compliance with the basic construction standards has to be respected.”
Regarding the corrective measures on those whose breach of construction measures has fueled the flood crisis in the state, he responded that government advocacy has been on the increase that all members of the public should take the issue of protecting the environment very seriously, saying that the issue should not be left to government alone.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Managing Director of Nigerpet Structures Ltd., Mr. Muyeed Wadud, posited that his establishment has been working closely with the state government to bring the situation under control.
The areas toured during the exercise are: Uyo Prisons, Udo Inwang Street ravine, Ubara Street in Use Offot and Etim Okon Usanga Street ravine, all in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.