Gov Umo Eno Orders Demolition of Buildings Blocking Drainage

(Governor Pastor Umo Eno. Photo by Premuim Times)

Following recurring flooding and property damage across Akwa Ibom State, Governor Pastor Umo Eno has directed the Ministry of Environment to draw up a fresh flood and drainage master plan, noting that the state's current framework has been outpaced by rapid urban growth and infrastructural expansion.

The governor made this known while addressing journalists during an unannounced inspection of the Judiciary Staff Quarters project in Uyo.

He also ordered that any structures blocking natural drainage paths be pulled down, regardless of who owns them, their status, or whether they had prior approval.

In addition, he announced the creation of the Clean Akwa Ibom Brigade, a specialised unit under the Ministry of Environment tasked with keeping drainage channels clear and strengthening flood control efforts.

Eno further disclosed that he has instructed the Ministry of Environment, the State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, and the Office of the Attorney-General to set up Environmental Sanitation Courts to prosecute violators of sanitation laws.

Instead of depending purely on fines, he said offenders would be made to carry out community service, particularly clearing blocked drains, as part of their punishment.

He stressed the need for an updated state flood and drainage master plan, explaining that the existing one was outdated given the scale of new development, and that experts were being brought together to design a more current version.

Regarding the monthly sanitation exercise, the governor announced that all movement across the state would be barred from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the last Saturday of each month, adding that no exemptions would be granted, whether for ceremonies, business activities, or arriving travellers, until the exercise is completed.

On the Judiciary Staff Quarters project, he voiced frustration over what he described as the contractors' laxity and indifferent attitude, insisting it was unacceptable for project sites to be left unattended by contractors and workers during working hours.