The perennial flooding threatening the Dakkada Estate and surrounding farmlands may be heading for a permanent solution as the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) begins feasibility studies for a new drainage channel through the Ituk Mbang/Nung Ikono Ufok gully system.
The proposed intervention is designed to redirect flood waters from the estate through the existing gully drainage network, providing a possible long-term solution to the swamp, locally known as Ibiok, which has continued to undermine development and agricultural activities in the area.
CCECC Manager, Mr Jason Zhang, disclosed this on Monday, October 6, 2026, when a delegation from the company formally engaged the traditional leadership of Ituk Mbang on the proposed drainage intervention.
Rather than commence technical activities without local consultation, Zhang said the company considered it necessary to enter the community and explain the purpose of the feasibility study to the traditional institution.
Receiving the team at his palace, the Village Head of Ituk Mbang, Chief Emmanuel Edet Bassey, JP, welcomed the proposed intervention and commended CCECC for beginning the process with community consultation.
Bassey said the community had consistently supported projects capable of delivering tangible benefits to the wider society, stressing that proper engagement with traditional and community structures was essential to sustaining peaceful development.
He recalled that Ituk Mbang was the community that accepted the construction of the International Isolation Centre during the COVID-19 pandemic when other general hospitals across the state had rejected the project.
The Village Head assured CCECC of the community’s cooperation, while noting that outstanding concerns would have to be properly documented and addressed as the project progresses.
The Youth President of Ituk Mbang, Comrade Prince Edet Etim, also pledged the support of the youth, describing the company’s decision to consult the traditional institution before proceeding as a demonstration of respect for community structures.
“Ituk Mbang Community will certainly cooperate with the company and the Akwa Ibom State Government to give them right of way for development,” Etim said.
Another stakeholder, Mr Kingsley Bassey, said CCECC’s approach demonstrated due diligence and administrative responsibility, adding that the community had given its backing to the proposed intervention.
Also speaking, the Obonguwana of Ituk Mbang and Convener of the Tinubu Umo Eno Akpabio Support Organisation (TUEASO), Pastor Micheal Joseph Okon, described the proposed project as an indication of the state government’s attention to development challenges at the grassroots.
Okon commended Governor Umo Eno for what he described as an inclusive approach to development, saying the community was prepared to work with CCECC and the state government to ensure peaceful execution of the project.
With the feasibility study now underway, attention is expected to shift to the technical viability of the proposed drainage route, including how effectively the Ituk Mbang/Nung Ikono Ufok gully can receive and convey water away from Dakkada Estate.
If found viable and subsequently implemented, the channelisation could provide relief from a flooding problem that has persisted for years while also protecting the estate and adjoining farmlands from further damage.
The intervention could equally create opportunities for improved access and additional development around the affected areas, particularly if the drainage solution succeeds in stabilising the terrain currently affected by seasonal flooding.
