by Ime Ben
The rate at which numbers of mentally ill persons keeps increasing on daily basis in Eket Metropolis in particular, and others major cities in Akwa Ibom State in general, has become worrisome among members of the public.
No doubt, mentally ill persons are unconscious of the society and themselves and so tend to commit any atrocious crime unknowingly and then become threats to members of the society.
Few weeks ago, an innocent man and his child narrowly escaped death from a mentally derailed fellow at Ikot Usekong, Eket, on his way to drop the child in school when the mentally derailed fellow deliberately stoned him and the child to comma for no reason.
Again, just yesterday evening, residents and passersby, including children along Eket Oron road by Mobil Airstrip crowded in their number, watching an obscene naked display by two adult male and female lunatics along the ever busy roadside, an act that though some people made fun of, was very embarrassing to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Eket local government authorities, members of mentally sick persons and the general public.
It would be recalled that some years back, a mentally sick fellow had stoned a man to dead at Uqua Junction in Eket, subjecting members of the deceased family to untold hardship and the lifetime trauma of losing a father, husband, brother and friend to such obnoxious way of dead.
Looking at Eket in particular today, one cannot walk or drive pass any busy road and street without seeing numbers of lunatic with some appearing very violent and fearful in nature, causing nuisance to the society.
They have so occupied the city of Eket so much that some hitherto public places for instance, traffic boot at Eket Oron road by Grace Bill, Mobil Mart, Union Bank fence among other public places, while Urua Nka appears as the headquarters of them.
The task to check this menace in Eket lies directly in the hands of the government since these mentally sick persons also have their constitutional right to life and be protected by the government. Eket local government authorities in particular should not fold its arms and watch members of the society continuously being harassed by these sick fellows.
The flow of the sick fellows all over the streets and main roads in a well civilized city like Eket doesn't speak well of the local government Chairman in particular and leaders of the areas, especially in the eyes of visitors to the area, and so should be discouraged.
The psychiatric hospital in Eket should be made more functional with enough facilities to accumulate as many psychiatric patents as possible.
Investigations reveal that some of these lunatics are brought from far and unknown States to flood Akwa Ibom cities. Security agencies at different check points should intensify efforts at checking every vehicle coming into the State, if caught, those involved should be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Members of the public should also be vigilant on this and call attention of appropriate law enforcement agencies to perpetrators of such act if caught.
While sympathizing with families of the mentally sick persons who are the ones directly suffering the shame of such sickness, they should always do well to seek medical attention at the hospital whenever such incident occurs rather than allowing them liter the streets.
Eket local government should collaborate with appropriate ministries at the State level to build an asylum for those already roaming the streets.
Above all, Eket should be kept clean and tidy by clearing dirt from every spots where many of the lunatics occupy. After all, Cleanliness is next to Godliness!
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