Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to tackle perennial flooding in the state, announcing plans to develop a new flood and drainage master plan.
The plans also cover establishing a specialised environmental task force, enforcing stricter environmental sanitation measures, and demolishing structures obstructing natural drainage channels.
Eno stated this while speaking with journalists after an unscheduled inspection of the ongoing Judiciary Staff Quarters project in Uyo.
He described flood control as a shared responsibility between government and residents, stressing that rapid urbanisation has made it necessary to review the state’s existing flood management framework.
The governor said he has directed the Commissioner for Environment to immediately assemble environmental experts, engineers and other relevant stakeholders to develop a modern flood and drainage master plan that will guide future infrastructure development, drainage construction and flood mitigation across Akwa Ibom State.
“We need to have a state flood and drainage master plan. The one we have is old. There are new developments that have taken place. We are bringing all our experts together and will develop the state flood master plan so that we can use it,” he said.
READ ALSO: Gov Eno Directs Immediate Action On Flood-Prone Akwa Ibom Communities
As part of the renewed environmental strategy, Governor Eno announced the establishment of the Clean Akwa Ibom Brigade, a dedicated unit under the Ministry of Environment that will focus specifically on clearing drainage channels and supporting flood prevention efforts across the state.
He explained that the brigade would complement the work of existing environmental agencies by concentrating on drainage maintenance, noting that flood control requires a different operational approach from routine waste collection.
Governor Eno also issued a stern warning against illegal developments, declaring that any structure found on designated drainage channels or flood routes would be demolished irrespective of ownership, status or previous approvals.
He further directed the Ministry of Environment, the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), and the Office of the Attorney-General to establish Environmental Sanitation Courts to prosecute offenders who violate sanitation regulations.
Rather than relying solely on monetary fines, he said offenders would be sentenced to community service, including clearing blocked drains and participating in environmental sanitation exercises.
Governor Eno also announced stricter enforcement of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, declaring that movement would be restricted across the state on the last Saturday of every month between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.
He warned that ceremonies, commercial activities and even arriving travellers would not be exempted until the sanitation exercise had been concluded.
While reaffirming his administration’s commitment to continued investment in drainage infrastructure and flood control projects, Governor Eno urged residents to take greater responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings and complying with environmental regulations.
He said the new measures form part of his administration’s broader commitment to protecting lives and property, safeguarding public infrastructure and building a cleaner, safer and more environmentally sustainable Akwa Ibom State.
