By
David Augustine
Sometime
in April 2017, I drew attention to the menace of erosion ravaging Hospital road
Abak along the Manta road axis at Midim Waterside. Then, the erosion had eaten
up a quarter of the road and making further frightening incursions into private
properties along the road. Many residents of the area cried out, but help was
nowhere near.
In
May, precisely on May 17, 2017, I again made another lighthearted post on the
same road wherein I wrote, "This is Hospital Road Abak. It is now a death
trap. Somebody should tell Mr. Ephraim Inyang about it now. on the other hand,
Please whoever can help the state government to get back this road should
urgently help. NDDC, ExxonMobil, Fire Brigade, NYSC, APC, PDP or even APDA;
whoever, it does not really matter..!"
Nobody
took note and the people continued in their silent groaning. The deputy
governor, an indigene of the area, perhaps did not know about the road,
considered to be one of the most popular roads in the city of Abak. Life went
on and the people living in that area suffered.
While
the agony lasted, the member representing Abak at the Akwa Ibom state House of
Assembly, Mr. Friday Iwok, reportedly visited the area in company of the
Transition Chairman of the local government area, Mr. Emmanuel Udosen, whatever
was their impression and efforts made to draw the attention of the state
government was not made public. The people living along the road, including
places of worship continued to suffer, with some making frantic effort to
relocate.
Mid
June, 2017, we published in the National Newstrack, a story on the agonies of
residents of the area, in a story anchored by Shadrack Okon, a resourceful
reporter who visited the area.
The
reporter had reported: "The people of Midim waterside in Abak Local
Government, Akwa Ibom State are apprehensive of the looming disaster staring on
their faces as gully erosion recently cave-in part of the Hospital, Manta road
in Abak.
"The
effect of gully erosion on the road which was recently worsened by a heavy down
pour in the past two weeks has raised serious concern among the residents of
the area and motorists plying the road.
"Speaking
with this reporter one of the residents of the area Mr. Nseobong said the gully
erosion has wrecked havoc in the area over the years. He recalled that an
Apostolic Nursery School that was cited in the area was swept away by the gully
erosion. Mr. Nse also hinted that the Winners Chapel Congregation have
finalized plans to relocate from Midim Waterside due the menace of this gully
erosion which is gradually sweeping away their church edifice. The source
further lamented that if urgent step is not taken to checkmate the situation,
all their houses in the area would be swept away by gully erosion.
"Also
speaking with this reporter, a civil servant resident in the area who would not
want his name mentioned on print lamented that the havoc caused by the gully
erosion would have been averted if there is proper utilization of the
ecological funds received by the state from the federal government.
"Divine
Sunday, a motorist plying the road said during an interaction with this
reporter havoc of gully erosion on the road is worsened because of lack of
drainage system in the area. This reporter also observed that the Manta
hospital road which was constructed during the first term administration of
former Governor Godswill Akpabio now the Senate Minority Leader does not have
gutters by the sides to control running water."
Few
days later the road collapsed, and the rampaging flood sacked households,
leaving a trail of sorrows and tears in the lives of residents. The angry flood
had no political affiliation and so, strolled into PDP supporters' homes as it
ferociously visited APC apologists.
The
outcry this time woke the sleeping giants in government and it was time for
another roadshow. On June 21, 2017, Mr. Ephraim Inyang, in company of his
retinue of policemen, cameramen, journalists, political chorus leaders and
hangers-on, made a noisy visit to the area. Residents peered from their
destroyed homes, helplessly praying that something be done. The commissioner
made the usual government pronouncements and "ordered Hensek, to
immediately commence remedial work" on the failed portion of the road.
That
same day on June 21, 2017, I made another post on my Facebook timeline.
"Sometime
ago we drew attention to the near collapse of Hospital road in Abak. I remember
that I called on whoever could help to go there immediately and help. I urged
NDDC, AKSG, FRSC, NYSC, Fire brigade, whoever could be of help to step out and
help.
Two months later, the road has effectively collapsed, rendering it impassable
and flood from the collapsed road wrecking havoc on private properties around
the environment.
Yesterday our paparazzi commissioner for works and his hoard of cameras and
film producers stormed the collapsed road and made scenes and reportedly
ordered Hensek to commence immediate rehabilitation. Why it took them two
months after the reported threat of imminent collapse is still a dramatic
mystery. Let's hope it will not end with this works commissioner's usual road
shows", I wrote.
That
post brought a deluge of abuses. One Aniekan Udo, accused me of hatred for the
state and its government, and made some other drivels all aimed at pampering
government when people on whose behalf government hold office were suffering.
A
media aide to the governor, Mr.Aniefiok Macauley, whose duty it was to ask the
government he is serving to intervene wrote in his comments on my post,
"Agreed David Augustine brought this issue as one of those things on his
mind about a month or two ago. I think it would have been better appreciated if
he as Editor in Chief of a Newspaper had sent a reporter to take a picture and
apart from publishing in his paper, sent the pix to the Commissioner with a
note as part of his paper's Corporate Social Responsibility.
I may be wrong
with this view point but I think David could have truly justified his position
as am not sure its every person that stay on fb to read posts. Again, no matter
how we feel about a person in authority or government, just as we expect people
to respect us as a person, it is necessary for us not to allow emotions and
sentiments to overwhelm us when we are addressing others on fb especially if we
cannot address the person in that same manner if we were to meet him on one on
one basis".
Ubong
Creativity David had his lecture on journalism and law and what should be said
and why certain things should not be said, "David Augustine I know you
first as a journalist and secondly as a lawyer. My brother I have respect for
those two profession and I expect the practitioners of those profession to live
above board. I saw it when you raised the issue on your timeline. The question
is:
Did your message reach the listed agencies and they refused to respond? If
the Commissioner for Works have stepped on the issue, I think labelling and
fantasies should be taken away from very sensitive issues. He has given an
order and the people using that axis are happy. Let's watch if the work will
not be done before we start throwing stones. Constructive criticism help
leaders to adjust their steps. You profession should put you above others. Just
my candid observation."
Worried
residents waited for the commencement of remedial work on the road; they prayed
that the rains would just miraculously cease for them to get respite from their
agonies, but the rain has not abated and their suffering just continued.
Then
a last ditch attempt was made, with an SOS to the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC), to come and help. On October 12, 2017, the Managing Director
of NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the
Hospital road, Abak. The news was received with joy and happiness by residents
of the area, as well as the people of Abak and lovers of good things.
On
October 16, 2017, just as the contractors are about to mobilize to site, the
state government that has been at political daggers-drawn on efforts by NDDC to
intervene in the development of the state, suddenly woke up again. Mr. Ephraim
Inyang, called a press conference to register the state government's
unhappiness at what he called politicization of projects by the NDDC.
According
to Commissioner Inyang, the state government took a whole four months after his
visit to the locus, and order for rehabilitation work and the imminent
intervention of the NDDC to make any further reaction to the state of Hospital
road, Abak.
He
told his listeners, "We were working on technical drawing to properly
restore Hospital road in Abak, before the main construction commences. It is
not about filling up the collapsed portion but to first tackle the encroaching
ravine and likewise constructing the appropriate drainage system before
asphalting the road..."
The
world is watching in bated tension, the day Commissioner Ephraim Inyang will
lead his troop to Abak to pursue the contractor NDDC has engaged to bring
succour to the people living at Midim waterside and those who ply the Hospital
toad in Abak, out of site.
See more pictures here...
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