An early morning downpour, which lasted for more than four hours in some parts of Eket and environs, yesterday, left the area heavily flooded.
News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the flood also damaged property, including household items and vehicles, worth millions of naira.
The areas mostly affected include Idua Road, RCC Road, Iso Esuk Idua, and Almighty Road, amongst other residential areas.
A landlord in the town, Mr Gabriel Bassey, told NAN in an interview that the rain started at about 4am, adding that “by the time it subsided, the entire vicinity had been covered by flood.
“I saw water entering our rooms and before my family could start parking some valuable documents, the flood had taken over the building,” Bassey said.
He called on the state government to come to their aid in order to cushion the impact of the incident.
According to Bassey, Idua Road requires good drainage that would channel water into the river.
He also appealed to the state government to build flood control structures in the area to permanently address the menace.
He said, “All the houses behind me, including 10 others, were affected by the flood.”
Also, a resident of Almighty Road, Idua Street, Chief Akpan Monday, said since the construction of the road by the immediate past government, the area had suffered flooding.
“We have had the same problem, with our houses being flooded, day in, day out, especially after the construction of Almighty Road, fours years ago.
“Like today, flood entered my house through the back,” Monday lamented.
He also said that the drains could not carry the quantity of flood, which made it to overflow into people’s homes and buildings.
He added that flood had pulled down their fences and destroyed other valuable property valued at millions of naira.
“I have lost all I had, including my children’s credentials.
“The one that annoys me the most is the one that just collected his result from a polytechnic in Eket three days ago,” he said.
Mrs Eno Okpo lamented that the heavy downpour destroyed her household items and other property in the area.
Okpo said she had relocated her three children to a flood-free area in Eket.
“I will not stay in this kind of flooded environment.
“The state government should come in and rescue me from this situation.
“That is what I am begging government to do for me,” Okpo lamented. NAN
