Only Proof Of Ownership Can END Akwa Ibom Forest Reserve Tussle – Lawyer

As the ownership quality implicit the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve betwixt 2 oil-rich communities of Ibeno and Ekid taste nationalities of Akwa Ibom State rages, the lawyer for Ibeno, Barr. Diamond Akpanika, has said lone documented grounds would easiness the prevailing hostility for peace.

Ekid elders had lamented that religion leaders (fathers of Faith), the accepted instauration and different friends of Ekid, person distanced themselves from their outcry for justice.

But responding,  Barr. Akpanika challenged the Ekid federation to travel up with a documented impervious of ownership of the ample swathe of the wood reserve stretching crossed 4 LGAs successful the the state, alternatively of resorting to “historical falsehoods, outlandish fabrications, and a hopeless bid to rewrite history.”

Speaking successful an interrogation yesterday successful Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the seasoned lawyer, pointed retired that the edifice to seeking assistance from the Church, the accepted instauration and friends of Ekid, “means determination is nary grounds to backmost up their spurious claims implicit the forest.”

“Let Eket archer the satellite who they are and wherever they came from. If Stubbs Creek Forest genuinely belongs to them, wherever is the proof? Show america the receipts of royalties ever paid to Ekid by the government. Produce your documents oregon halt deceiving the people,” helium stressed.

Akpanika, citing historians including Darin Ford (The History of Southern People) and Sir Udo Udoma (The Story of Ibibio Union), insisted that Ekid radical migrated from Ibeno, earlier moving northwards, stressing that “no Ibibio ever lived by the Atlantic coast.”

He maintained that Ibeno, not Ekid, were the existent coastal custodians who opened up the waterways for Portuguese and thereafter European traders, controlled markets, and received royalties from British traders.

“All archival records beryllium that royalties, whether £2, £30, oregon £132 arsenic it past was, were paid lone to Ibeno. None went to Ekid. If they quality this, fto them reason with bully impervious of documentation. I know, they cannot, due to the fact that it does not exist,” helium recalled.

The lawyer dismissed Ekid’s reliance connected the Talbot map, reminding them that the lone onshore Ekid obtained was 800 acres astatine Ntak Inyang “a speck compared to thousands of hectares belonging to Ibeno.”

He, therefore, accused them of being opportunistic, maintaining that Ekid People’s Union (EPU), their umbrella socio-cultural organisation was hastily formed to annex Esit Eket successful a ploy to physique a mendacious beforehand against Ibeno.

Akpanika besides revisited the assemblage ordinances of 1930, 1937, and 1955, which helium said intelligibly recognised Ibeno ownership.

He said: “The nationalist is present alert that Ibeno are the existent owners of the Stubbs Creek, which has accrued Ekid’s vexation to the constituent of inciting ‘Fathers’ of Faith’ successful the State against Ibeno, aft a failed bid to get the the enactment of the State Traditional Rulers Council.

“Ekid has besides deployed different failed strategies, including sponsoring 1 princess Udoito, a pistillate witch -doctor to behaviour voodo powerfulness against the governor.”

Akpanika added that, beyond each these, the authorities authorities remains precise steadfast successful resolving the situation by proposing a bid committee which, according to him, Ekid had rejected.