3 weeks ago
7
As the warring lipid communities of Ekid and Ibeno taste nationalities proceed to gully conflict enactment implicit the ownership of the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, a subordinate of the Ibeno accepted rulers’ council, Chief Udofia Okon Udofia, has warned different funny parties to steer clear.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the convener of a civilian nine organisation (CSO) – Open Forum Care For Humanity Foundation (OFCHF), Mr Matthew Koffi Okono, has been accused of unhealthy meddlesomeness successful the lingering quality by taking broadside with Ekid neighbours, but Udofia argued that
“Stubbs Creek belongs to Ibeno by history, instrumentality and geography”.
In an interrogation yesterday astatine Upenekang, office of Ibeno section authorities area, the accepted ruler, who doubles arsenic the secretary, Ibeno Clan Council (ICC), warned against violative propaganda by the CSO, noting that specified indulgence has the imaginable of fuelling the already tense ambiance astir the lipid and state loop of Akwa Ibom.
He, therefore, urged the National Boundary Commission (NBS), the authorities authorities and different applicable authorities to intervene successful bid to avert the looming taste war.
“The CSO led by Mr. Okono, masquerading arsenic a morganatic movement, is thing but a hopeless effort by definite Ekid interests to rewrite past by provoking nationalist sympathy done lies, theatrics, and manipulation.
“The CSO successful question is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and its activities person nary ineligible standing.
“Ekid has failed, and volition proceed to neglect to nutrient a azygous certified map, Court judgment, oregon authoritative papers proving immoderate morganatic assertion implicit Stubbs Creek Reserve Forest. Instead, they person resorted to utilizing dubious fronts and unverified claims to dispersed falsehoods,” helium stressed.
He recalled that “there was ne'er a 1916 oregon 1918 Court ruling granting Stubbs Creek to Ekid. The cases they referred to were intra-Ibeno disputes implicit sportfishing rights, not onshore ownership.”
He noted that “no Court, including the British Privy Council, has ever handed Ekid ownership of Stubbs Creek. If specified a ruling exists, we situation them to contiguous it to the nationalist and the authorities government’s projected bid committee.”
He faulted Ekid for citing the 1993 Akpata Commission arsenic a ground for onshore ownership, describing the assertion arsenic some misleading and ignorant.
He said: “The study of that Commission was purely advisory and holds nary ineligible value oregon gazetted authority. No competent Nigerian Court has ever validated it arsenic a ineligible ground for onshore ownership.
“From British maps dated arsenic acold backmost arsenic 1893 to authoritative Nigerian authorities gazettes, Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve lies firmly wrong Ibeno territory. The area’s geography, lipid infrastructure, and administrative boundaries each enactment this.
“The Ibeno radical person historically occupied and administered the agelong from Qua Iboe River to Atabrikang, including the Atlantic shoreline that forms the bound with Stubbs Creek forest. Every credible representation and ineligible instrumentality confirms this reality.
“Ekid’s latest tactics reveals their desperation. From dragging successful spiritual groups, to engaging successful libation rituals with alleged prophetesses similar Princess Godknow’s Udoito, to attacking and killing, and aboriginal courting the Traditional Rulers Council — these antics lone exposure the lack of substance down their claims.
“They’ve besides tried to research the governmental figures by accusing the politician of bias for not seizing onshore connected their behalf — a request that’s some amerciable and provocative.
“Let it beryllium wide that our patience is not weakness. We person remained peaceful successful the look of provocation and incessant killings and brutality.
English (US) ·