Akwa Ibom Communities Threaten Attack Over Forest Reserve Ownership

Aggrieved leaders, elders, youths and stakeholders from rival ethic nationalities drawn from the lipid and state big communities of Ibeno and Ekid, person threatened to reignite their perennial skirmishes implicit the rightful ownership of the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.

The Ekid Progressives Union (EPU) led by the president-general, Dr Samuel Udonsak, warned their coastal neighbours, Ibeno, to support their hands disconnected the onshore oregon hazard resumption of hostilities, which had already taken its toll connected Ibeno.

Worried by the menace of the Ekid, Governor Umo Eno had offered to seat the mediation committee, a determination the Ekid protesters rejected, accusing him of balkanising the wood and allocating it to lipid firms, including the BUA Petrochemical, Refinery and Fertiliser firm.

But the enactment of Ibeno Traditional Rulers Council described the presumption and statement of Ekid arsenic fabricated lies to annex the forest.

Through its spokesperson, Chief Udofia Okon Udofia, connected Sunday astatine Ukpenekang, office of Ibeno section authorities area, said the existent mendacious alarm raised by the Ekid was unfounded, desperately concocted to springiness the lies a quality face.

“We made the situation successful our past statement: nutrient the documents. They ignored it again. Instead, they chose media play implicit substance.

“They assertion ownership of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve. Yet, erstwhile invited by the government’s bid committee, they would retreat and amusement high-handedness,” said Udofia, adding that “Eket radical person go experts successful humanities fabrication and drama.”

He said the ownership of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve is presently subjudiced nether progressive litigation and accused Eket leaders of committing contempt of tribunal by repeatedly discussing and campaigning connected the substance successful the media.

The Ibeno radical besides condemned what it described arsenic “voodoo politics” by a girl of Eket, whom they impeach of “roaming the wood reserve and pouring libation against the politician and accepted rulers, erstwhile a pistillate is not expected to bash so, going by the tradition.

“This is not conscionable an affront to the government, but to the psyche of our state’s traditions. Eket cannot outcry foul erstwhile they are spitting connected contented and successful the look of peace,” Ibeno stakeholders stated, querying, “What bash Ekid radical truly want?”

The group, however, posed immoderate weighty questions, specified as, “What bash Eket radical truly want? Peace oregon war?”

“Instead, overmuch of what is being heard from Eket radical has travel done media interviews, accepted oregon affectional rhetoric (woman pouring libation) and alleged humanities narratives passed orally but unbacked by ineligible documentation.

“To beryllium taken earnestly successful a onshore oregon assets quality of this scale, Eket would request to present; humanities onshore grants, surveys, oregon treaties (e.g., colonial-era maps oregon bound definitions), Court judgments oregon authorities gazettes assigning ownership, onshore ownership titles, lease agreements, oregon ceremonial assemblage resolutions and grounds of continuous concern oregon accepted jurisdiction implicit the Stubbs Creek area,” helium stressed.