The Afaha Oku Village Council in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has sent a Save-Our-Souls letter to the state governor, Umo Eno, to urgently intervene on a fast-encroaching erosion threatening the community.
The letter dated June 6, 2024, and entitled, “SOS: Erosion menace along Akan Eton Street and other sojourning streets in Afaha Oku Village”, was signed by the Village Head, Eteidung Emmanuel Eka and Secretary, Supol Cosmos Ebong(retd).
In the letter made available to our correspondent in Uyo on Tuesday, the community claimed that the erosion had submerged no fewer than 50 buildings, adding that the erosion was reported in 2019 and certain remediations made, but the situation had worsened in the last few weeks.
“We write to remind you of our earlier report to the state government on the erosion menace affecting Afaha Oku Community in Uyo Local Government Area which has submerged some buildings and many buildings badly threatened to collapse.
“The worst affected areas are Akpan Eton Street, Nabor Street, and their sojourning streets. Akan Eton Street was motorable but today, it is condemned and turned into a very bad gully with some buildings submerged into it.
“Consequent upon the above, we had a survey of the erosion site in Afaha Oku in 2019, and herewith attached is a copy of the documentary which was aired by the Akwa Ibom Television and Radio and published by the Pioneer and some local newspapers.
‘It was the documentary that caused the then state government to approve remedial measures for the site, otherwise, more houses would have been submerged and erosion worsened. Now that the rains are coming, if nothing is urgently done to control the erosion, more houses are likely to go in and the gully will worsen. Many landlords have since abandoned their houses and fled the area.
The community appealed to the state governor to award a contract to rehabilitate the affected roads for the residents to return to their houses.
“The Village Council passionately appeals to Your Excellency to award a contract to rehabilitate the affected roads for residents to return to their houses”, the letter stated.
One of the affected landlords, Mr. Titus Jerome Udoh, a retiree, who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday said he vacated his home located at No8 Akpan Eton Street, off Ekpene Ntan Street when it became threatened by erosion following the activities of a construction company that diverted flood water from Urua Ekpa and its environs into Akpan Eton.
He said, “I was forced out of my house as a result of the approaching threat of erosion, which has turned Akpan Eton Street into a ravine, and the entrance of my house was badly affected. Hence, I relocated and stayed with my dependent family members in a rented apartment.
“You can imagine what life has become for me and my dependent relatives in a rented apartment for almost five years now. So please I am appealing to His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, to do anything within his powers to restore us to our home.”
Another landlord, Francis Valentine Akpan, said the people were entirely cut off and the situation had to be remedied by members of the community.
“We planted bamboo trees as part of our remedial approaches but now the bamboos are attracting snakes and other dangerous animals into our homes. We wake up to see dangerous snakes inside our homes. We need help to survive this rainy season,” he said.
Another affected landlord in Atiamkpat Street, Mr. Andrew Udoukpo, said the gully erosion along Akpan Eton had continued to pose a serious threat to buildings in the area as the volume of water emptied into the street does not permit even pedestrians to use the road during the rainy season.”
