RESIDENTS OF IKOT AKPAN ODUNG ITAK IN AKWA IBOM STATE, DECRY POOR AMENITIES

Written by Uhuotu Omilabu

In 2015, the United Nations put together a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future with 17 sustainable development goals termed SDG’s.

 

These goals include no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education, climate change, life on land amongst others with expectation that countries will work to ensure that all these are met by the year 2030.

 

In Akwa Ibom state, despite the efforts of government in this regards, there were no visible signs as we transported ourselves via motorcycles through the gallop road of Ikot Akpan Odung Itak village in Ikono local government area of, where its people earn a living through farming especially palm oil production.

 

Sitting under a large tree that sheltered us from the scorching sun with its leaves, the village head Etteidung BASSEY EYO began to speak of the road which leads to the community, indicating that it can only be manageable during the dry season.

 

This he said is different from the lack of electricity which has placed residents of the community in darkness.

“Someone can decide to come here and visit me especially during the rainy season but when their machine falls into the water, they will have to wheel it down to see me, they will say “village head, this your village is really bad”.  So, I’m begging the government to look into this road issue.

When the chairman of Ikono assumed office, he did not grade this road to make it a bit useful. Someone will grade the road that leads to their place but will not grade this our own, making us suffer in the rainy and dry season, but we are still the ones casting our votes for them.

Coming to this our transformer that got bad, I shouted and shouted that darkness has no business with light and that we are suffering with the lack of electricity. Kerosene is expensive, you can’t buy it. Petrol is also expensive, you can’t buy it. If we have electricity, it would really help those of us staying in this village.”

Meanwhile, youth president of the village who identified himself as NDUKEABASI JIMMY spoke about the state of the only primary health centre in the village and how residents do not have access to medical care especially in cases of emergency.

“One thing that is really lacking here is that a primary health centre was built and completed but there are no personnel working in it. There are no medications inside it. People like us, we get sick and if not because God is keeping us, it would have amounted to us having the largest death toll.

The security that was sent from the local government to guard the hospital are old men who cannot not even protect the items in the hospital from getting looted. A doctor has never been sent to the hospital. I have gone to health centres in other places which are very nice and they treat very serious ailments and have medications available but in our own, there’s none.

If you go to this our own, there are no medications at all.  We really need help from the government. Let them send staff to work there.

Like the adage seeing is believing goes, I decided to visit the health centre located about 15 minutes walking distance from the residence of the village head.

The beautiful building was situated in the middle of a large expanse of land with a half burnt staff quarter at its left hand side.

Upon entering the hospital, nothing seemed to be functional as 6 pews of dirty benches welcomed us at the left hand side of the reception area. Directly opposite the entrance door stood a table which had a handful of medical items haphazardly placed, not befitting of a health centre.

Broken hospital beds were found in a corner of the reception area, some perceived offices and patients rooms too, giving an indication that the spaces have not been occupied in months.

The only nurse present at the hospital, KUFRE JACOBS spoke about the situation of things;

“We are three staff working here, two health workers and one security man. The problem we are having here is that we don’t have enough staff strength to work on the duties here.

So any day that one of us is going for training or is being called by the government, its only one person that will be staying here and in case of emergency, if any patient is being brought here, they won’t see staff at night because the place is not secured, we are not living here.”

Adding voices to the state of the medical facility, residents of the village also spoke about the dangers they have had to face as a result of the poor state of the hospital.

"My senior sister, died here with pregnancy, there was nothing, no care was taken of, she died here with the baby"

"However you (referring to the government) can help us with this hospital please do because this is the only health facility we have. We cannot move from here to Abak and Anua or Use Abat because it is quite far. Let them help us and give us people that will work in this facility"

 

"Saturday and Sunday that there is supposed to be work in this hospital, nobody works. Once they close on Friday and go home, this hospital remains like that. There are no medications, and even if there’s an emergency, it’s likely that the person may die on the road. Let them give us medications, we need medications. How can we have only two nurses in a hospital?"

A few things make a developed society; good roads, electricity, potable water, access to medical care and security. When these are found lacking, then such a community would only be struggling to survive.

 

Last year, the United Nations mentioned that Nigeria is not close to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030 due to the various challenges bedeviling the country.

 

It therefore behoves the government to prioritize its people and put their needs first in order to end the lingering infrastructural concerns that have been raised by them.