MY SOJOURN TO IWUOKPOM AND WHY RIVERINE COMMUNITIES DESERVES PROPER SENSITIZATION ON COVID-19

By Ubong Creativity

Yesterday, after visiting my brother at Upenekang in Ibeno local government area, I decided to embarked on another adventure to the riverine community of Iwuokpom-Opolom to have a feel of the popular fishing settlement.

My two last visit to that settlement was in 1992 and 2004 respectively and I won't forget the last experience being 2004 in a hurry. Then I was working with Benchmark Surveys & Engineering Ltd as a Field Manager. Our surveying firm was engaged by a marine company, Dersko Marine Ltd, a fraud syndicate that came to swindle Akwa Ibom State government of million of Naira during Godswill Akpabio led administration but they failed woefully.

The company came with the intention to build a dry port along Qua Iboe River corridor covering some part of Ibeno, Eket and Onna local government. The said company was fronted by late Chief Udo Mbosoh and some guys in the state. We went to series of inspections visiting Ikot Akpatek, Ikwe, Odio, Iwuokpom, Atabrikang, etc. They took us to inspect a land for industrial estate where staff of the company and auxillary companies will stay. We took risk hiring speed boats, paid some casual labours, youth leaders and community people in every visit to inform them of the investment that will be sited in their domain. We were going from land to sea to the bank of Atlantic Ocean taking coordinates of the corridor to site the project.

In one of such visit, we were accosted by youth at Atabrikang axis, our phones, surveying equipments, etc were ceased and we were arrested with the claim that we want to cede a land area belonging to Ibeno LGA to Onna LGA which was far from the truth. The Transition Chairman then, Hon. Kingsley Mfon said we should thank our God that those boys would have slaughtered all of us. We were detained at Ibeno Police Station till the following day to discuss our mission. I don't know if Hon. Johnson Ukalom still remember that encounter that I engaged him at Ibeno Police Station threatening to fight me which I frontally challenged him but resolved amicably. Before I digress from my story, Dersko Marine guys from Edo State with collaborators from Akwa Ibom State were fraud syndicate. They stayed for almost three months in a hotel by NNPC gas station along Oron Road without paying a dime expecting government to fund their fraudulent activities by thank God that government was wise enough to make demand for financial agreement with a foreign bank that will partner the project but they couldn't provide it. No kobo was approved for them and I learnt the owner of the hotel locked them until they have to pay all their bills before they were released. Though I didn't find out how they ended, I have since forgotten that experience until yesterday.

Back to my journey. When I landed Iwuokpom-Opolom yesterday, I was amazed with the number of houses in that settlement. I and my brother decided to stroll the bank of the ocean, watching the fishing activities going on there and I discovered that over 2000 people are residing in that settlement. I also discovered that of more than 2000 people in a settlement, no single individual wear nose mask.
When I engaged the Secretary of Iwuokpom-Opolom who is in acting capacity as the Village Head, Mr. Ikotenyie James Uko, he said that nobody care what is Covid-19. I moved to hear from some of them but they say Covid-19 will not put food on table. I pressed forward to know why they say so, if they are aware that the disease have killed thousands of people, they say it won't kill them. When I asked if they collect nose mask if given to them, the Secretary said they will rush it.

I think that settlement and others that do not believe in Covid-19 pandemic new real sensitization to be abreast with information on the existence of the infestious disease añd precautionary measures to curb it.

Government need to appropriate fund for village to village sensitization campaign to take the message of Covid-19 to the rural dwellers. They need nose mask like any other person in town. Let's domesticate Covid-19 Sensitisation campaign to save more life.

By the way, I chewed enough fish and interacted with the locals, took some cup of coffee and stepped it down with a sumptuous meal. They don't have water, no health facility, no functional school. The one that is there, the roof have been destroyed by wind. There is something about that settlement not forgetting business opportunities. It was an interesting journey and I hope to return with a team of journalists to do a documentary on that settlement. Hope to return soon and will relate with the authority to ensure that that settlement and others receive attention from government and corporate organizations.