Mrs Nse Michael, a 65 year-old widow from Obio Ndot community, Ndot clan, in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State has escaped death following the collapse of her house due to flood water.
Michael, a mother of three, was trapped in her house after the flood water from a heavy rain on Sunday pulled down part of her mud house popularly known in the local parlance as ‘ikenga’, but neighbours came to her rescue.
Other houses and property in the area worth millions of naira were also affected.
Narrating her ordeal in the home of a physiotherapist where she is being treated, Mrs Michael said though she lost everything to the flood when her house collapsed, she was grateful to God that she was still alive.
“I am grateful to God for sparing my life when the house collapsed. Though I lost everything to the flood, I am thankful to God for sparing my life,” she said amidst pains.
She and other victims of the flood appealed to the state government to intervene to help them salvage what was left and also urged members of the public to assist them with a place to live.
Speaking on the incident, the Village Head of Obio Ndot, Chief Etim Akpan, said the flood water had recently caused great havoc to his community and blamed the situation on the poor construction of the drainage handled by the contractors who constructed the Ikot Okoro road project and internal road projects in Obio Akpa community.
He stated that he and his subjects have suffered untold hardship, adding that the community has made efforts to provide assistance to the people affected.
“I am begging government at all levels and spirited individuals to come to the aid of my community. We are in avery serious danger and we don’t know what another rain will bring,” he said.
The flood waters occasioned by the heavy rains have adversely affected many communities in Oruk Anam and Abak LGA, forcing many residents to abandon their homes for safer abode.
The continuous heavy rains have also made roads in Uyo impassable as many people are forced indoors when it rains, to the extent that it enters some homes and pulls down fences in some areas of the city.
Places like Abak road, Oron road, Idoro road by Julius Berger junction, Atiku Abubakar way, Ikot Oku Ikono, Udo Umanah street and Wellington way where the Government House is located are always flooded whenever it rains.
Responding to the continous flooding across the state, especially in Uyo, the Commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals, Mr Charles Udoh said drainage controlled projects are ongoing in the state but that the spots mentioned are not included.
“I am not informed of this axis being ravaged by flood. Once I have official report from them, the government would act accordingly,” he said.
