Erosion Menace: Ekpri Nsukara Offot Sends SOS To Gov Umo Eno

Ekpri Nsukara Offot in Uyo Local Government Area has cried out to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno to save the community from the erosion menace ravaging the area.

In a Save-Our-Soul message to Governor Umo Eno at the weekend, the community expressed fears that lives may be lost and some areas wiped out by the ravaging erosion except there is urgent intervention by the State Government to avert the looming danger.

The community said every rainy season has been a period of “hue and cry” as erosion has continued to render some streets impassable with fences of properties and houses destroyed or flooded while farmlands are submerged.

The SOS message signed by the Village Head-elect of Ekpri Nsukara Offot, Eteidung Emem Denis Asikpo; the chairman of the Village Council, Comrade Morris Silas Bassey and the Secretary of Village Council, Elder Domingo Bassey Etim lamented that the ugly development has exposed the community to serious land degradation and environmental insecurity.

“Our community, Ekpri Nsukara Offot, situated along the Nwaniba Road axis of Uyo Capital City is facing the threat of gully erosion with its dire consequences of land degradation and environmental insecurity.

“The menace has made every rainy season in the past few years to be a period of hue and cry in our thickly populated Community, which is a co-host of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO).

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“The fast-evolving gully erosion in parts of the Community has cut off some streets from being accessed by motorists and destroyed fences, while some houses have been flooded and others on the verge of being submerged,” the community said.

They further stated that some institutions of learning, including the community-owned Ekpri Nsukara Offot International Schools (ENISCO), are already under serious threat of devastation and possible submersion by erosion if not checked.

According to the community “Indigenes and residents affected by the sad development are now very helpless, thus making our Community stand the risk of serious environmental insecurity, except urgent remedy is effected immediately.”

They called on the State Government to aid by providing remedial and permanent solutions to save lives and our community from further devastation.

When our Correspondent visited Ekpri Nsukara Offot to assess the extent of the gully erosion, it was seen that Akpakpan Street, off Mission Road and others within the locality, was cut off, making it impossible for motorists to ply on them.

The village council chairman, Comrade Morris Silas Bassey, told our Correspondent that residents in the affected areas faced great risk in navigating to their houses when it rains, especially at night.

“We are suffering. Look at the condition of living in these areas. When it rains, the lives of inhabitants are seriously threatened by heavy flooding.

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“As you can see – pointing to the destroyed walls of the Ekpri Nsukara Offot International Schools (ENISCO) and other properties; these are some of the sad encounters faced by people in the community,” Comrade Bassey lamented.

Meanwhile, the flood has converted a large acreage of farmlands in the community into pools with no immediate hope of the lands being utilised except when drainages are undertaken to channel out the rainwater.

The village head-elect, Eteidung Emem Denis Asikpo, was very hopeful that the administration of Governor Umo Eno will salvage the community from the perennial erosion menace.

“We know who we supported to emerge as Governor of Akwa Ibom State. We are confident that Pastor Umo Eno, under his Arise Agenda, will surely wipe away our tears,” he said.