The Chairman of Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA), Anietie Eka, has distanced himself from a controversial report praising the Akwa Ibom State Government’s flood control efforts after the publication drew widespread criticism for appearing insensitive to victims of Thursday’s devastating flooding in Uyo.
The report, written by Godwin Edet, personal assistant on media to Governor Umo Eno, argued that the governor’s investments in roads and drainage infrastructure prevented an even worse disaster despite severe flooding that submerged homes, businesses and major roads across the state capital.
|
|
The publication, however, triggered public outrage, with many residents and commentators questioning the appropriateness of celebrating government achievements while hundreds of families were still assessing losses from one of the worst floods to hit Uyo in recent years.
The controversy deepened after Mr Eka told PREMIUM TIMES that the report did not represent the official position of the authority.
|
|
|
|---|
Instead, he said the public should rely on the report published by the agency’s Information Officer, Uduak Otu, which differed substantially from Mr Edet’s version.
“I did not authorise that report,” Mr Eka said.
According to him, the only statement approved by the authority was the one released through its information office.
Stay Ahead with Premium Times
Follow us on Google News and never miss breaking stories, investigations, and in-depth reporting.
Add as a preferred source on Google
His explanation contradicts Mr Edet’s claim that the chairman had reviewed and approved the publication before it went public.
‘I was defending government’
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Edet defended the report, saying he deliberately wrote it from what he described as a “pro-government” perspective.
“Understanding that I am pro-government, it was necessary to defend the government and also highlight the developmental strides of the governor towards controlling flood,” he said.
He acknowledged that the headline generated criticism.
“I have had calls from some of my colleagues that the headline was not necessary, that people felt the government is insensitive and that the story is sycophantic.
“The fact is that a lot of people are building on drains. I did that on the position that the government is working hard over this.”
Mr Edet also disclosed that he personally suffered losses from the flooding. “I am also a victim of that flood incident that happened yesterday. So, people are just too emotional about it.”
He said he considered it necessary to reassure the public because Mr Eno was away from the state when the flooding occurred.
“I felt at the point of writing that story it was necessary because a lot of people expected the government to visit the homes of the victims but because the governor was not in town, he couldn’t and as aide to the governor I needed to highlight that the government is working.”
Chairman denies approving report
When PREMIUM TIMES informed Mr Eka of Mr Edet’s claims, the UCCDA chairman rejected them.
“He forwarded a write-up and I thought he sent me the report from my office that he wanted to share. I told him, ‘Fine, go ahead”.
“It was later that I saw a write-up on Facebook where people were analysing the report. I read the story and I was surprised.
“I called him and asked what he wrote. I told him he shouldn’t have done that. He should have stuck to what came from my office.
“When did you start taking someone’s story to analyse? I didn’t give him approval for that.”
Contacted again with the chairman’s response, Mr Edet maintained that he had sent the draft to Mr Eka before publication.
However, he admitted he never expressly informed the chairman that the document he sent was his own rewritten article rather than the official statement.
“I was not there at his visits to those flood sites. I picked the report from the information officer, wrote my story from a pro-government angle and sent it to him. He replied, ‘Okay, nice.’
“It was later he told me that if he had known it was different from the report issued by his office, he wouldn’t have asked me to post it.”
Public backlash
The report provoked criticism on social media, with many accusing government officials of prioritising image management over empathy for residents whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed.
Journalist Nseabasi Valentine wrote that praising government while flood victims were counting their losses reflected poor judgement.
“The entire city is flooded, homes, businesses, lives are wrecked by just a day’s rain and someone chooses this moment to praise government. This is just sickening,” she wrote on Facebook.
Another journalist, Ndifreke Enefiok, described the publication as “wrong and insensitive.”
“Government officials should know when to pause with praise singing. Many citizens have lost their property and source of livelihood. Instead of visiting the flooded locations to sympathise with the victims and assure them of government’s remedial measures, it’s to commend the governor. Like at this point? It’s so nauseating,” she wrote on Facebook.
Environmental commentator Ittakke Ekah in his comment on one of the Facebook posts condemning the report argued that attributing the flooding mainly to buildings on drainage channels oversimplified a more complex problem.
He said poor drainage planning, inadequate environmental impact assessments, blocked waterways and weak urban planning enforcement had also contributed significantly to flooding in the city.
Another commentator, Maurice Aniefon, criticised what he described as excessive emphasis on publicity instead of governance.
READ ALSO: Lagos govt accuses social media influencers of sharing false flood images
“Governance is not content creation. Stop chasing the cameras and start fixing the drains,” he wrote.
The controversy comes as residents continue to question the state’s preparedness despite earlier flood warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, which had forecast heavy rainfall before Thursday’s flooding.
The public criticism also follows growing scrutiny of government agencies responsible for urban planning, drainage maintenance and flood management in Uyo, where residents have repeatedly raised concerns over blocked drains, unchecked developments and recurring flooding.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the government of Akwa Ibom State in its 2026 budget approved N2.5 billion for “drainages, canal desilting and flood control in Uyo metropolis and environs”.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
More News
