Joe Effiong, Uyo
A mysterious rainstorm has wreaked havoc in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s country home in Onna destroying the pavilion constructed to shelter guests at the burial of his father, Gabriel Emmanuel Nkanang, scheduled for Friday.
The strange rainstorm, which occurred, yesterday, was said to have centred around the Emmanuel’s family compound without extending beyond 500-metre radius.
The makeshift pavilion, which was recently constructed with woods, iron rods and pipes as well as aluminium roofing sheets and tarpaulin, was seen completely smashed.
A member of the community told newsmen that they suspected sabotage, especially as some elders had earlier cautioned the burial planners to appease the gods and engage the services of witch doctors and rain-makers.
“How do you explain a rain that circulated within a particular area? I had told the planners of this burial that not everyone would be happy to see a successful burial of the governor’s father.
“I earlier suggested the need to engage a traditional rain-maker so that in a situation like this, such mysterious rain would have been diverted to nearby communities,” he said.
Mysterious rains are no strange in Akwa Ibom State these days as it was recently reported to have consistently fallen in a community in Ukanafun council allegedly to obstruct an ongoing construction of road project.
Others have however seen the early destruction of the pavilion as a blessing in disguise which would make the burial palnners sit up and do the needful, including consulting the relevant authorities and reinforcing the materials used for the construction.