By Chioma Onuegbu

IKOT AKAN- VICTIMS of the December 2014 tanker fire incident at Ikot Akan village Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, which razed about 40 buildings, have expressed worry at the apparent delay in the payment of compensation promised them by the state government. One of the victims, Ufot Udosen, complained that since fire gutted his canteen, his family has been facing untold hardship, as he has not been able to start any other business since then.

Buildings-affected by the Tanker fire

His words, “I used to have a small kiosk along this road where I sell food and make small money to feed my family and send my five children to school. But since my kiosk was burnt down when a tanker carrying fuel fell down on this spot, last year and caught fire, I do not have any other thing I do to take care of my family.

“If you look round, you will see that fire destroyed everything here, some of the shops you are seeing here now,   people just erected them recently, I am not happy because government came and said they will do something about it, but since then,   we have not heard anything from them.

Request to govt

“What we want now is for government to come and do something about this situation. I do not have money to repair that shop or start another business. My family has been suffering since that time,” he added. Another victim and chairman of the Mammy Market, Nsikan Wilson, said, “You can see that almost all the shops around here were burnt down.

We used to have those that sell shoes, those that make hair and other sections, but fire burnt their shops. That is why in this whole area, no business is going on again. We are asking government to come to our help, we need help, and we have been waiting for so long. The way it is, it seems government is not doing anything about our plight.”

Victims plan showdown

A motorcyclist, who simply identified himself as Nnyong, said, “I am among those who lost their bikes in that fire, last year and some so many commercial motorcycles packed by the roadside that day were also burnt just like you see a lot of shops burnt down. In fact, we wanted to protest some months ago but the youth leaders asked us to calm down.   For how long shall we continue to suffer?”

Contacted,   the village youth president,   Umoh Usen,    told Niger Delta Voice that about 40 buildings and structures were affected by the fire disaster but no life was lost.

“As a community leader, I was able to contact the youth leader of Ukpum Ette clan and we immediately wrote to the state government and copied other relevant authorities like Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency and even NUPENG at the state and national levels, but there has been no response from them since then. The victims are frustrated because they have nothing doing. And they have been on my neck, which is why I am worried”

Relief materials

Youth leader of Ukpum Ette clan, Mr. Ubong   Essien,   said apart from the delayed compensation promised by the government,     he expected that by now,   the victims should have been given relief materials from relevant authorities. “Our responsibility as community leaders is to make sure we convey whatever information or problems that affect our communities to the relevant government authority. So far, the youth president of the area,   Umoh Usen and I have been able to work together and written to SEMA, NEMA, House of Assembly and others to come to the rescue of these victims.

Fuel Tanker

“And the driver of the tanker immediately ran to the police to turn himself in and also escape attack by the angry community when that incident happened. Afterward, the police invited the victims and they went and made their complaints. Unfortunately, since they lodged their complaint, nothing has been done about the matter,” he said.

His words, “We also sent letter to the past members represent-ing Ikot Abasi at state and federal constituencies but the whole situation has remained like that, and the victims are still aggrieved. In fact, I called Niger Delta Voice because they have been disturbing the youth president, asking why government has not done anything.   They had wanted to protest again and we said they should calm down.”

According to him, “This incident happened around December 2014 because I was at a campaign rally when I was called, so the matter has taken a very long time. In fact, the victims have been itching to protest again to express their anger over the delay in payment of compensation but we told them that government would do what it promised.

“So we are using this medium to plead that government should look into the matter fast so that peace can be assured within the community. We do not know what is on their mind; you know as the saying goes that a hungry man is an angry man.

Govt addressing the matter- SEMA

Contacted the Head of Department Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Udeme Umoren, said, “The State government is doing something in that direction. You know that government decision over such matters is carried out in stages, but all I know is that government is working out something about that incident.”