In the center of Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, a portion of Old Stadium Road has been engulfed by a gully erosion as video evidences obtained by ENigeria Newspaper from Premium Times show that the adjacent road is roughly 100 meters from Wellington Bassey Way, the road that leads to the Akwa Ibom Government House.
For decades, the community has been plagued by this expanding gully, swallowing farmland and private and government buildings, leaving residents in a state of constant fear. If immediate action is not taken, the erosion is most concerning.
According to the video story report, Aniedi Edet Okon, the head of the Uyo village, has urged Governor Eno to act swiftly.
“I am begging my governor. Please, don’t allow this gully to destroy the new and beautiful healthcare centre you built for us. This health centre has helped so many children from the villages around here”, he said.
“Please my governor, I am begging you to act very fast to rescue us. The gully had already taken many houses”, he added.
Mr. Okon also thanked Governor Eno for the infrastructure his administration has built in Uyo village, particularly the reclamation work on another nearby gully that has been transformed into an amazing tourism project called the Arise Park Resort along Dominic Utuk Avenue, despite the trauma his people are experiencing due to the gully.
Ubong Henry, a community leader in Uyo village, that the community had sent multiple petitions pleading with the state government to step in.
“We have spoken in the media about this problem, and many NGOs have done their best to draw attention to the menace. We are still appealing to the government to come to our rescue,” Mr Henry said.
As at time of filing this report, Ubong Henry confirmed that some government officials came around on Monday.
