Traders lament as flood submerges shops, business premises in Akwa Ibom

Published on June 13, 2023By Lovina Anthony

The perennial flooding along Atiku Abubakar Way, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and its environs has thrown residents and business operators into severe agony.

The residents in an interview with DAILY POST Correspondent in Uyo lamented that the flood had destroyed their means of livelihood.

They called on the State Governor, Pst. Umo Eno to save them from the menace of flooding.

When our correspondent visited the area on Monday, an automobile engineer, Mr. Ndianabasi Isong in an interview, lamented that he had not operated from his workshop for about three days as the whole area was submerged by flood.

Lamenting the financial loss he witnesses anytime his shop was flooded, Isong disclosed that one of his apprentices was wounded and had been rushed to the hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

He narrated, “I am an automobile electrician by profession. I am one of the victims of the flood; it affected me very seriously.

“We had a relationship with the authorities of this school- Beulah Nursery/Primary School, so whenever it rains, we have to relocate customer cars and park them in front of the school. The flood has posed a lot of challenges, when it rains, it affects us financially.

“We are managing to survive; I’ve lost some customers. You can see my shop, the rain has destroyed everything, our tools that we bought from Lagos for work had been destroyed. One of my boys fell into the water and sustained injuries, he has been in the hospital.

“We have been here for the past 13 years. Before, it wasn’t like this. That is why I am appealing to the government and the people living around here to look for where to dispose of their waste products, and not to dump it here.

“Poor waste management is what is causing the flood because as they dump them, they block the gutters and make it difficult for water to flow freely. I appeal to Pst Umo Eno, our governor, to see what he can do to help us in this area.”

Also a food vendor, Mrs Udeme Udeme Ime expressed disappointment that whenever the area is flooded, everything she cooked for the day would be wasted.

She said, “This area has been flooded years back but not to this extent. It’s beyond explanation; you will see people folding up their clothes to bring their children from school.

“On my part, I find it difficult to sell my food anytime this place is flooded, anything I cook that day will be wasted.”

Recounting his experience, the head of ICT, Beulah Nursery/Primary, Mr Rotimi Awobode said whenever it rained heavily, the flood would take over the school compound and enter into the classrooms.

He also called on the state government to come to the rescue of residents of the area.

“We have a lot of business centres here, we really want to appeal to the government to help us open the gutters and tunnels so that water can pass through easily. If it rains for two days nobody here will come out,” he lamented.