Akwa Ibom battles erosion menace

The rainy season is around the corner again bringing mix feelings across the entire Akwa Ibom state. While many people, especially the farmers, are getting ready for another planting season with lot of excitement and great expectations, for other residents of Uyo, it is a moment of anguish and nightmares because with rain comes flood.This […]

The rainy season is around the corner again bringing mix feelings across the entire Akwa Ibom state. While many people, especially the farmers, are getting ready for another planting season with lot of excitement and great expectations, for other residents of Uyo, it is a moment of anguish and nightmares because with rain comes flood.
This was the situation early this year, precisely last week, when the first rain was witnessed in the state. The rain which lasted less than 30 minutes caused an unprecedented havoc to most residents of the state. It destroyed many homes, pulled down many houses, displaced thousands and rendered them homeless.
Flooding generally is a big challenge and a very common experience in Uyo metropolis. Whenever it rains it leaves behind a bitter experience for residents of the land of promise. Last year an unusually heavy rain caused a flash flood which left in its wake devastating experience in several areas, including Urua Ekpa Junction, Ukana Offot and the state secretariat, off Atiku Abubakar road and many others.
This year’s flood experience was the latest in the series of destructions to business centres, homes and property and even deaths caused as result of flooding in the state.
Records available to Daily Trust indicate that Uyo, the state capital and its environs, are in perpetual danger of flooding as a result of the topography.
However, the state government, in its efforts to tackle the menace, two years ago, came up with the latest technology in flood control-The Underground Pipe-jacking Drainage system, the latest in Africa.
Apart from the hi-tech the state has also undertaken a number of measures to check erosion. This according to our investigation included the construction of a network of underground drainages traversing long distances and building surface drainages in several locations of the state, including the underground drainage system behind the Tropicana Entertainment Centre in Afaha Etok, to evacuate flood from the city.
However, despite government’s efforts to control flood and flood related issues in the state, flooding has continued to pose a big challenge to the state government, and causing a lot of nightmares to many homes and families.
Areas often threatened by erosion in the state include Oron Road/Nsikak Edouk by Methodist Church and IBB Avenue by the women Development Centre and others.
Worried by the developments the state government recently set up a Technical Committee on flood control in the state. The Committee, headed by Engr Etido Inyang, the Special Adviser to the state governor on Technical matters recommended the enactment of environmental laws to prohibit indiscriminate dumping on drainage channels and proper drainage to tackle the menace in the state.
Engr. Iyang said  though government was trying its best to control flooding in the state the attitudes of the people towards flood control leaves much to be desired.
He blamed most erosion in the state to the attitudes of some people who flout environmental laws by building on flood plains to attract compensation from government and deliberately blocking drainages thereby causing erosion in such areas.
Iyang, who briefed members of the press alongside members of committee including the commissioner of Environment, Pricne Enobong Uwah and the state commissioner of Information Mr Aniekan Ummanah, also blamed most of the erosion on excessive rainfall.
“If the rain is falling too fast for the ground or drain to cope, there is the risk of flash flooding. This could be caused by excessive rainfall from precipitation or snowmelt or by coastal storm surges or other tidal phenomenon’’
The state commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Enobong Uwah while fielding questions from newsmen said erosion control was serious issue matter and capital intensive venture, pointing out that state government requires the sum of over N50billion to effectively tackle erosion in the state.
He stated that the state government was in the process of accessing the needed amount from the Ecological from the federal government.
The Commissioner pointed out that it was not the responsibility of government to demolish houses constructed indiscriminately along drainage routes and to attract compensation.
He stated further that the ministry had had applied to the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) to undertake the demolition of such houses and called on the press to continue to educate the people on waste management.