Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has expressed sympathy with families and individuals impacted by the recent flash – flood in sections of the State, urging for coordinated effort to prevent recurrence.
He described the incident as unfortunate, adding that government has put modalities in place to manage the situation, while answering questions from Government House Correspondents at the Victor Attah International Airport, on his arrival from official engagements outside the state, today, Friday July 10, 2026.
Governor Eno said that while government was committed to its responsibilities, all hands must be on deck to prevent recurrence, by desilting drainages around their facilities, and ensuring a clean environment.
He called on the citizens and residents of the state to take ownership of keeping the drainage channels free from rubbish, noting that the fight against the flash – floods now being experienced in areas of the state required a combined effort between government and the population.
He said that similar flash – floods had been recorded in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country despite warnings provided by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). He said it was vital for communities to complement government’s involvement by keeping their environment clean.
He remarked that one of the biggest causes of urban floods is indiscriminate discharge of garbage into gutters and drainage channels and lamented that most homeowners watch drains surrounding their homes grow clogged and wait for authorities to remove them.
The governor stressed that environmental sanitation should not be treated as a government effort but as a public responsibility, adding that communities used to come together to clear drains and manage their environment before the advent of modern sanitation organisations.
He said the state government will continue to carry out big scale desilting of key canals and storm-water channels but citizens need to ensure that drains in front of their houses and commercial premises are kept clear of debris so that floodwater can flow easily.
We need to work together. Let us stop choking our drains with garbage. “The government will continue to do its part but people also have a responsibility to keep the environment clean,” the Governor stated.
He also encouraged locals to follow weather advisories and flood warnings provided by the respective authorities, stating that the best response to flash floods is prevention.
The State Chief Executive re-affirmed his administration’s commitment to protection of lives and property assuring that government has already directed immediate deployment of construction firms and relevant agencies to flood-prone communities to evacuate storm water, desilt blocked drainage channels and restore access to affected areas.
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