Aftermath of Ibaka Inferno : Residents Count Loses , Seek Help From Government

Residents of Ibaka fishing settlements  in Mbo local Government area of Akwa Ibom State have cried and pleaded with Federal, State and local Governments within the sphere to come to their aid by providing relief materials and some cushion compensation to enable them get back their Business life.

The people also solicited the state Government to consider building and equipping a fire station in the area, rearrange the fishing settlements with a town planning to help end the incessant fire outbreak that is a ritual in the area. 

They dropped the plea amidst tears and anguish when a team of selected Journalists who were on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the remote cause of the fire outbreak and possibly draw government attention to the plight of the people therein. 

Speaking with Newsmen, Mr. Ini Bassey, the Deputy youths President of Ibaka Community asserted that the fire incident occurred in the area virtually every year and that the 2004 /2016 outbreak was the worst and claimed more lives since it always happen in the night. 

He said the total cost of damage done the area by the inferno could not be ascertain at the moment but property worth millions of Naira have been destroyed by the fire. 

Other residents of the fishing settlements who gave account of their lost to the inferno said their means of livelihoods have been consumed by fire and they are left with nothing except with one clothier to cover their nude . 

The fire incident, our reporter learned took place On Thursday February 10, 2016, at about 2PM the cause could not be ascertain as at the press time.
Over 200 shops, Houses, Immigration service, DSS and Custom offices , fishing instruments like nets, lines etc have been gut by the fire except their fishing boats. 

Ibaka fishing settlement is in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and it bounded by Bakkasi peninsula and a home of the much taunt Akwa Ibom seaport. 

As at the time of our visit to the settlements , affected residents who complained bitterly informed Newsmen that government has not responded to their plight since the incidence took place almost a week plus.

It could be recalled that the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon Barr Onofiok Luke had directed intervention Agencies to visit the area and offer assistance to the affected persons,this followed a motion of urgent public importance brought to the House by the member representing Mbo state constituency, Hon Samuel Ufuo. 

Hon.Ufuo had during Assembly plenary seek the House to direct Federal, state and local intervention Agencies to visit the area with relief materials which could help cushion the plight of residents and had also solicited for a well equipped ultramodern fire station in the area to help stop the yearly rituals of fire outbreak .