Akwa Ibom Community Calls Attention To Abandoned Drainage Project

Distraught residents of Oku Abak and other adjoining communities in Abak local government area of Akwa Ibom State have raised the alarm over the entire swath of the area caving in with attendant loss of lives, houses and other social amenities, if urgent intervention measures were not taken to fixed the multi-million naira drainage project abandoned since the era of Senator Godswill Akpabio, as the state governor.

LEADERSHIP checks revealed that the project was abandoned by Julius Berger at the completion of the suspended flyover bridge, and underneath lies the long tunnel drainage facility designed to control water to the nearby stream, but could not be completed.

“This failed drainage system abandoned by Julius Berger construction company poses a serious threat to humanity especially people living within and around this axis of Oku community.

“It’s can trigger one of the worst avoidable ecological and infrastructural disasters in Akwa Ibom State. What was initiated as a flood-control and erosion-mitigation project has degenerated into a hazard endangering public institutions, private investments, and livelihoods across Abak LGA,” Comrade Ifiok Jeremiah, a community youth leader at the nearby Ediene town, lamented to our correspondent.

“This drainage project was awarded to Julius Berger Construction Company during the administration of former Governor Godswill Akpabio, and was intended to safely channel flood water away from the Abak Bridge and adjoining communities.

“Years after commencement, the project was abandoned midway, leaving exposed channels, collapsed sections, and uncontrolled water flow.

“Since then, erosion has steadily advanced. Deep gullies now cut through surrounding land, inching dangerously close to strategic public facilities, including the Abak Local Government Council Secretariat, Holy Family College, Independence Hall, and Tilapia Island Resort.

“Large portions of farmland have already been lost, threatening food production and household income in the area,” Abasiofiok Ekong, another concerned resident and a drinking pub operator recalled.

Some frightful residents noted that “the danger escalates with every rainy season,” explaining that “the foundations have been weakened under the pressure of flood with access roads narrowed, as the once-stable land gives way under persistent water pressure.”

A service attendant at the ever-busy Tilapia Island Resort under the suspended bridge, noted that “despite the visible deterioration, no comprehensive remedial work has been carried out on the abandoned drainage system.”

It was gathered that landowners in the affected zone have submitted repeated appeals to the Akwa Ibom State Government led by Pastor Umo Eno, seeking urgent intervention to halt the erosion or compel the contractor to return and complete the project properly, to no avail.

“These appeals were borne out of desperation rather than protest, but no commensurate positive response from the government since the magnitude of the damage cannot be remedied by individuals’ efforts,” they explained.

Engr. Imeh Etukudoh, one of the affected landowners, warned that “the situation has moved beyond private loss to the realm of public emergency.”

“This erosion is threatening government facilities, schools, businesses, and farms. If the bridge or any of these structures fails, the consequences will be severe and irreversible,” he warned.

Further findings indicated that the anxiety over the abandoned project was not limited to residents, as a top government official, who preferred to speak anonymously, confirmed that “several formal and informal efforts made over the years to draw the attention of the construction company to the worsening state of the drainage infrastructure proved abortive.”

“All attempts to get the company to return to site could not yield any any positive response,” the source recalled.

The official, whose large expanse of land is also being consumed by erosion, described the abandonment as a failure of contractor’s responsibility and follow-up enforcement, noting that “the lack of response has allowed a manageable engineering problem to escalate into a full-blown environmental threat.”

Despite the frustration, affected landowners and officials alike have expressed hope that the current administration will act decisively.

“The Akwa Ibom State Gov Governor Pastor Umo Eno, is a God-fearing and peace-loving leader. He will not ignore a crisis that endangers public assets and community safety,” Etim Akpan, a community advocate assured.

“The situation exposes deeper systemic issues – weak post-project monitoring, poor enforcement of contractual obligations, and a culture that allows contractors to abandon critical infrastructure without consequence,” the argued.

They, therefore, called for an immediate technical assessment of the drainage system, emergency erosion-control measures, and a transparent review of the original contract, including penalties for abandonment and substandard execution.

However, to salvage the avoidable disaster in the face of the upcoming 2026/27 rainy season, aggrieved landowners have cried out that as erosion continues to gnaw at the land supporting the Abak Bridge, delay could turn negligence into tragedy.

For them, “the issue is no longer about blame alone, but about urgency, accountability, and decisive action to prevent a disaster that is already unfolding in a slow motion.”