Flood destroys 100 houses, displaces 300 persons in Akwa Ibom

A Heavy downpour resulting in flood has destroyed 100 houses and displaced 300 persons in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the heavy down pour which started about 3a.m in the early hours of Sunday, ended around 12p.m in the afternoon in Eket and its environs.

The resultant flood displaced some residents of Eket in Edem Udo, Grace Bill, Marina Junction, Udoh Umoh, Stadium road, Ikot Udoma, Idua road among other adjoining streets in the area.

The flood which was as a result of the persistent rainfall and bad drainage system in the area, destroyed over 100 houses and displaced 300 persons.

Mr Ubong Mark, a resident of Edem Udom in Eket, while narrating his ordeal, said he had suffered from effects of flooding in the area for the past eight years.

“Today’s flood is indeed a serious calamity that has befallen me. I was at home preparing for church when water began to enter into my house as a result of accumulated pressure of the downpour.

“Speaking to you now, I have lost most of my belongings especially books, electronics, beddings, laptop and other personal belongings,” Mark said.

Mark added that the flood had thrown residents and shop owners into distress and confusion as the heavy rainfall did not allow shop owners  access to their shops.

“As you can see, some of the residents are still trying to drain  water from their homes  and property worth millions have been destroyed due to incessant flooding in Eket.”

Mark urged the state and local governments to come to their aid, saying that flood was one of the greatest challenges faced by residents in the area.

Mr Paul Essien, a resident at Grace Bill where most banks in Eket were located, also cried for help as flood took over houses in the area, saying that the rains did not allow him to go to  church.

Essien said that some residents of the affected area had taken refuge in areas where the flood did not penetrate.

He appealed to the state government to construct drainage in the area to save residents from the perennial annual flood.

“The situation is pathetic, most people have relocated to their neighbour’s houses  because the water has taken over  their houses, shops and farmlands,” Essien said.

He however, attributed the flooding to residents’ improper disposal of refuse that caused blockage of the drainage system in Eket.

“The bad drainage system is the main reason for this flooding. There is nowhere for the water to go through, that is why the roads are flooded.

“This has affected the activities of residents living in the area, as such, there is need for urgent intervention from the government to arrest the situation which is posing a threat to theirsources of livelihood,” he said.

Another resident, Mr Nsikak Etebia, at Ikot Udoma/James town, appealed to the state government to build roads with drainage system.

“This road was constructed some years ago without drainage to control the flood in the area.

“Now the residents in the area are suffering from flooding because of the heavy rainfall.

“I want to use this medium to urge the state government to please come to our rescue and look into the matter and save us from this uncertainty,” Etebia said.

Etebia explained that residents had lost property worth millions of naira to the flood.

“This is a major road linking Eket and Esit Eket local government areas of Akwa Ibom,” he said. (NAN)