More than 900 residents including children of Akata community, a coastal creek in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State were rendered homeless after a mysterious fire swept through the community.
The incident, which occurred January 2, affected means of livelihood of the victims as the inferno razed more than 200 houses, outboard engines, fishing nets, boats as well as household properties worth millions of naira.
Consequently, Ifum Henry Udoh, Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Area accompanied by his Vice, Sunday Isokobo and the 10 councillors of the area during an on-the-spot assessment of the incident, was visibly heartbroken.
The council’s officials who journeyed through the waters to the village witnessed the plaguing disaster, observing that such magnitude of misfortune was the first of its kind in the area.
After receiving the officials, Chief Alexander Thomas, the village head of Akata and Friday Sunday, the youth president, described the fire as a mysterious one as no one in the community could identify its root cause.
They, however, solicited assistance in the form of relief materials from the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), oil companies and other relevant bodies to ameliorate their sufferings.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Ibeno, who was moved by compassion, gave bags of rice, beans, salt, gallons of palm oil and other relief materials to the victims.
Ifum urged them to be patient with government, and pledged to work out proactive measures to bring them succour.
Also speaking, Nse-abasi Elijah, councillor representing Ward 4 in the area, said even the only health centre in the village had been burnt making life unbearable for victims of the fire disaster.
Original Author: Joseph Atainyang
