Tension As Akwa Ibom Oil Communities Bicker Over Forest Reserve Ownership

Again the conflict implicit the close owners of the disputed Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve betwixt the 2 lipid – bearing communities of Ibeno and Ekid taste nationalities of Akwa Ibom State has taken a fiery crook with indications pointing to resumption of different circular of hostilities, LEADERSHIP gathered astatine the weekend.

The wood reserve, portion of which the State authorities has annexed and allocated to immoderate firms including the BUA Petrochemical refinery and fertilizer company, has been the epicentre of perennial disputes with Ekid and Ibeno.

Under the aegis of the Ekid People’s Union (EPU) led by its president general, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, the Ekid radical argued that the reserve, affluent successful oil, gas, aquatic ecosystems, coagulated minerals and cultivation resources, beryllium to the Ekid nation, citing assemblage and station assemblage judicial precedents.

Faulting the EPU’s disposition, the caput of the Ibeno Clan Council (ICC), Chief Udofia Okon Udofia, described the sentimental enactment of their Ekid neighbours arsenic a specified trump- up allegation coming from a bias and fraudulent mindset.

He accused the EPU of “peddling falsehoods, twisting history, and blackmailing Governor Umo Eno, to debar a bid probe Committee to beryllium chaired by the politician himself.”
Speaking successful an interrogation astatine Upenekang, office of Ibeno section authorities country yesterday, Udofia described EPU’s rejection of the governor’s bid overtures arsenic “an enactment of cowardice, stressing that Eket has nary facts, maps, oregon ineligible judgments and documents to beryllium ownership of Stubbs Creek Forest.”

“You tin not speech astir Stubbs Creek without Ibeno. That expansive Stubb Creek Forest Reserve, is the precise landmass of Ibeno. From assemblage maps to present-day Akwa Ibom boundaries, it is intelligibly Ibeno territory. Eket radical are lone surviving connected lies,” Udofia maintained.

He dismissed Ekid’s reliance connected the 1916/1918 Court lawsuit arsenic a “landmark judgment,” calling it a distortion of the information of history.

“That lawsuit was betwixt 2 Ibeno families; Chief Ntiedo of Upenekang and Chief Ikpak of Mkpanak. No Eket antheral was involved. The alleged Mr. Edohoeket, was lone a house-boy to Chief Ntiedo and was brought arsenic a witnesser successful the matter. How tin Eket present assertion ownership based connected different man’s household quarrel?,” helium queried.

He, therefore, accused the British justice who gave Ekid a favourable ruling astatine the Court of archetypal lawsuit of corruption and bias successful the property – agelong matter.

“Judge Webber was joined to an Eket pistillate and lived among them. He connived to manus implicit Ibeno land. But Ibeno appealed, and Webber’s ruling was countered wherever the entreaty Court declared that the Court is not a begetter Christmas to grant what was not prayed for.

“Ibeno won astatine the appeal.
Ekid instituted different lawsuit connected the aforesaid Stubb Creek ownership, and successful 1980, judgement came successful Ibeno’s favour with damages of N200,000 awarded against Ekid. These are with documents, and that’s the information they privation to bury,” helium recalled.

Challenging EPU’s assertion that they gave Ibeno onshore for sportfishing and settlements, Udofia, queried whether Ekid is the national government.

“If they assertion they gave america land, fto them sanction their forefathers who signed the pact oregon nutrient immoderate documents to backmost their claim. We tin hint ours to treaties with the Portuguese and Europeans earlier Eket adjacent existed,” helium stressed.

He branded EPU’s leaders arsenic instigators of unit successful the area, saying they are acrophobic of immoderate inaugural that volition bring imperishable bid to the country adjacent the projected Governor Eno’s Peace Committee due to the fact that it volition portion bare their propaganda.

“They person nary history, nary maps, nary facts. That is wherefore they are moving distant from the Governor’s committee. If they person immoderate documents, fto them bring them. If not, they should fell their faces successful shame,” helium argued.

While pledging Ibeno’s loyalty to Governor Eno’s bid initiatives, Udofia warned that Ibeno’s patience should not beryllium mistaken for weakness.

“We volition not spell to warfare due to the fact that the Governor has stepped successful to support the peace. But fto nary 1 deliberation Ibeno cannot support itself against immoderate aggression and hostilities. Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve is ours; ever has been, ever volition be.”

He reminded them to prosecute the Stubbs creek ownership lawsuit that is pending astatine the Appeal Court successful Calabar, and besides challenged them to travel retired and show their documents to the satellite astatine the projected Governor Eno’s Peace Committee, and halt their propaganda.

“The satellite knows the information that Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve belongs to Ibeno. Both Eket and Esit Eket LGAs lies tin not rewrite history,” helium explained.