Flood: Don faults urban planning as A/Ibom seeks N32bn World Bank aid

W ITH the perennial flood ravaging parts of Akwa Ibom State, the Director in-charge at the Centre for Wetlands and Waste Management Studies (CWWMS), University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom State, Professor Gabriel Umoh, has blamed the problem on poor urban design and planning by government agencies.
Umoh, a member of the UNIUYO Governing Council, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the African Human Development Centre (AHDC), said “the agencies of government charged with the responsibilities of managing the environment have not lived up to expectations.
“The infrastructural development of the metropolis without proper layout plan has given rise to the destruction of natural wetlands in most areas of the State”, he said.
Umoh, a Professor of Agricultural and Development Economics, lamented that “developers are allowed to destroy wetlands and build their structures along natural waterways without taking into consideration the environmental effects of such untoward actions”.
He frowned at wholesale violation of environmental regulations and blamed town planning enforcement officers for looking the other way while developers turned every available space into construction sites, noting that reclamation of natural water territories for buildings aggravated flood problems in the State.
The Ministry of Environment, Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) and other relevant agencies, according to him, appeared to have reneged in their regulatory responsibilities, forcing government to incur huge cost running into billions of naira to tackle the scourge.
“Who approves building on waterways”, he queried, pointing out that the problem of incessant flooding had caused untold hardship on the people “because of disobedience to town planning laws”.
Worried by the problem, the state government solicited assistance from the World Bank to the tune of N32billion to construct underground flood channel that would complement the underground pipe jacking system that was constructed by former Governor Godswill Akpabio.
According to the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Akparawa Inyang-eyen, the flood intervention project would be constructed from the flood-ravaged IBB Way, Uyo, all the way to empty at the neighbouring Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.
Besides, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Iniobong Essien, who also expressed worry at the problem, said “the flooding problem along the IBB Way would be tackled in collaboration with the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
He appealed to residents affected by flooding to remain patient as the problem would soon become a thing of the past, adding governor Udom Emmanuel was committed to addressing the challenges posed by flood, especially on the Uyo metropolis.

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/flood-don-faults-urban-planning-aibom-seeks-n32bn-world-bank-aid/