By Tomy Nyong, Uyo

THE people of Ibeno Local Government in Akwa Ibom State, mostly those of the four Communities recently ravaged by flood, are still recounting their pains and losses more than two weeks after the flood sacked them from their homes.

And they have now turned to President Goodluck Johnathan, the Federal Ministry of Environment, corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals to urgently come to their aid.

They said if respite does not come soon, they stood the risk of being extinct as an ethnic bloc since the natural disaster confronting them is the worst in the history of the area in the last forty years.

* Some victims arriving Okoro Itak to take refuge

The Village Head of Itak Abasi, Obong Iko Abasi Ette, declared that government’s response to their plight was slow, painful, and leading to a gradual process of extermination.

But the Village Council President, Mr. Uko Harry is of the opinion that it was imperative for the government of President Johnathan to prove that he cares for the citizenry by sacrificing to ensure that natural disasters are nipped in the bud before they consume some parts of the nation.

He averred that the flood incident in the area has gone beyond the capacity of the State Governments to tackle.

The Village Youth Coucil Head, Mr. Effiong Okpon, however called on government of the day to see what has happened to the people of Ibeno as something that can happen to any other part of the nation, saying what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

*Stranded victims of the flood. INSET: Patrick Usenekong

The people are also expressing apprehension that the situation in their area could lead to an outbreak of epidemic.

Usen Ekong, a transporter in Ibeno, was all tears over what the future holds following the nightmare of losing two children to flood last year.

The situation took a turn for the worse this year with the flood disaster that hit the area while he was away on the high sea ferring passengers to the fishing settlements where they usually go to buy their goods.

The heavy downpour of the Wednesday July 6, 2011 has virtually wiped out Ibeno Community. In the same vein, three thickly populated fishing settlements in the Local Government Area were between Tuesday July 5 to Friday July 8 completely shut down by the rain that almost also marred the weeklong Nigerian Army Day Celebration, NADCEL, held in the State that week.

Visitors thronged Ubenekang, the Local Government Headquarters of the Council, unarguably Akwa Ibom’s smallest local government area, to witness the surge of the Atlantic Ocean into the settlements and homes of the hapless inhabitants who were subsequently rendered homeless.

On Friday July 8, tension was still thick in the air and one had to push through the massive crowd to get to the rubbles, amidst wailing and loud lamentations of women who refused to be consoled.

Virtually everyone had one thing or the other to be cry about. It was either the loss of property or loved ones, or both; or even how to start life all over again, and even where to relocate to. Husbands frantically searched for their wives and children, while children were crying, peeping through the crowd for their dear parents.

About 70 people were rummaging through the rubbles to recover household items taken by the flood that flowed into into their homes. Survivors of the disaster stood by totally lost, as urchins, obviously looking for how to take advantage of the situation, scavenged the debris.

Many volunteers, Vanguard Metro gathered, went out the entire day in their boats to help save children and recover belongings. But trust mischief makers, some fellows were soon making gains selling recovered items to people and asking bona fide owners to part with some money to have their recovered items back.

The perennial problem of flooding in the area has persisted for more than four decades and each time it happens, the effect is always devastating. But why nothing has been done to reclaim the land that is yearly receding, or at worst relocate the people, remains a mystery.

This same Community incidentally plays host to the Multinational Exxon Mobil which carries out exploration of millions of barrels of oil daily, and perhaps caring less for their host community.

It was certainly not what indigenes of Ibeno and other Nigerian nationals who have been living there for many years bargained for.

Residents believe that as law-abiding citizens of the Niger Delta area who volunteered to surrender their arms and come out of the creeks with the promise that they were going to be offered improved living conditions, the nation should be moved with pity to assist them at this point of their need following the flood disaster.

Patrick Usenekong, Councilor representing the people in the Local Government Council while speaking with Vanguard Metro lamented the pains his people have been subjected to for so many years.

“It is worse than living in Hell. We have lost the only existing Primary and Secondary Schools to the flood and now our children cannot go to school. So where lies their future now?” he queried.

According to Patrick: “Many of the people lost their properties, homes and monies when the entire area was covered with flood, including the one that lost three houses in one fell swoop.

The only option is to send a Save Our Soul message to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to come to our rescue by relocating us or reclaiming the land sacked by the flood for us to go back to our roots as a people for our children to have history”.

Continuing Mr. Patrick said that they have written several letters to the Federal Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Urban Development, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC, but that all efforts at drawing attention to their plight has not produced the desired relief.

Mrs Paulina Okeke, an Igbo trader and a resident of the community for more than ten years said: “This is a case of trying to take advantage of our powerlessness. This is our son we all voted for.

It is even more annoying because he belongs to our party, the Peoples Democratic Party; we all trusted and voted for him. Now all we have in return for voting for him is lack of accommodation for our families and all we have laboured for in life gone.

We are calling on the state and Federal governments to come to our aid, to bring us succour because life has become unbearable, and we have been exposed to severe environmental disaster”.

Another resident Peter Eme, who expressed dismay at the situation, said: “This is Ibeno that produces most of the sea foods consumed by Nigerians in the South- South, South East and the South West, even up North.

It also produces the black gold that is the nation’s wealth. A company like Exxon Mobil is sitting on the very soil of the community, but all the people can get is the worst condition of living”.

Paul Ekong, a fisher man, who said the flood carried four of his canoes, and all fishing nets told Vanguard Metro that the campaign promises made to them have never been fulfilled, and that the only thing he was not promised was the gift of a new wife.

Promise Ike, a middle aged lady, said: “Water don carry my house, I no get where to stay. My children na Itak Abasi dem de go school, now dem no fit go school. To chop na after de owner of de house where we de squat don cook finish before I fit cook for my children”.

The entire village of what used to be known as Itak Abasi is completely sacked by the flood, and a population of more than 10,000 people have been displaced and forced to take refuge in Okoro Itak community.

About four other communities of not less than 25, 000 people are also affected, but the torrential rain did not allow Vanguard Metro to be taken to the communities in the boat hired for the day.

Etenam Harry said since the flood carried their houses, they are forced to sleep anywhere they find at the night. As a result of this, most of their young girls have been put in the family way by children of those who accommodate them.

He added that being at the mercy of their hosts they are not in a position to complain.