Protesters from the oil-bearing communities of the Ekid ethnic nationality including Eket and Esit Eket local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, have drawn the attention of Governor Umo Eno, to what they described as indiscriminate seizure of their lands “without consultation and agreement with the ancestral owners.”
The disputed Stubb Creek Forest stretching across four local government areas, including Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket, and Mbo, LEADERSHIP learnt has been at thecentre of various crises, especially between Ibeno and Ekid, over ownership claims.
Maintaining that the Stubb Creek Forest belongs to them, the Ekid protesters launched a fierce protest to disrupt the ongoing convention of the All Nations Christian Ministry International (ANCMI), Eket LGA, owned by the governor, but for the timely intervention of the president-general of the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), Dr. Samuel Udonsak.
“But for the president-general of Ekid People’s Union (EPU), Dr. Samuel Udonsak, the ongoing religious convention of All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket, owned by the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, would have been disrupted by hundreds of protesters”, one of the worshippers said.
The protesters who marched on major streets in Eket LGA were armed with placards of varying inscriptions, alleging the state government had trespassed on the land they called, in local parlance, Akoiyak Ekid, balkanised it, and allocated large swathes to firms, including the BUA Petrochemical, refinery and fertiliser company.
“The vast acres of land at Akoiyak Ekid, a Forest Reserve have been sold to private companies and individuals by agents of the state government without the consent of the rightful owners, the Ekid people,” one of the protesters told our correspondent.
Some of the placards read: “Pastor Umo Eno, Stop Stealing Our Land in Akoiyak Ekid,” “Forest Reserve Law Is Not Land Acquisition,” “Stop Victimising Ekid People,” and “Sack Iniobong Ekong Now.”
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Imo Okon, lamented that ‘the Stubbs Creek Reserve Forest, is our ancestral land belonging to the people of Eket and Esit Eket LGAs, has been confiscated and allocated out by the government under Governor Eno’s watch.’
“We are marching to All Nations Christian Ministry International where Umo Eno is hosting a convention. We want the world to hear how wicked a Governor can be,” he declared.
Another protester, Mrs. Eno Asuquo, queried how fishing and farming activities have been crippled by companies occupying the land without compensation and urged Governor Eno to “respect the rights of Ekid people,” arguing that “the Forest Reserve Law does not grant the government the license to sell off communal land to private interests.”
“This action is criminal and violates both the Land Use Act and the Nigerian Constitution,” Mbakara Bassey, one of the protesters, noted.
However, the EPU chief, Dr. Udonsak, pleaded with the protesters not to disrupt the Church convention, stressing that the Church should not be dragged into government’s handling of land matters.
“Don’t go to the Church. Don’t call for the sack of Captain Iniobong Ekong (Rtd), a former commissioner for lands and town planning, who had been redeployed to the Ministry of Trade and Investment, because he couldn’t have acted without the express approval of the governor,” Udonsak warned.
“The Pharaoh who denied the Israelites freedom died in the Red Sea. When the time comes, I will personally lead you to the governor’s house,” the EPU president appealed.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the governor recently revoked the titles of all land allocations from May 2023 to date, transferred the then commissioner for lands, his kinsman, Capt. Iniobong Ekong (Rtd), to the Ministry of Trade and Investment, and sacked the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Land Matters, Mr Udeme Daniels, for actions reportedly linked to the unfolding land racketeering scandal.
A senior official of the lands and town planning ministry, who opted to remain anonymous, described the action of the Ekid protesters as “a mere exhibition of emotions for wrong reasons because, by right, all lands belong to the government and could take any land for the ultimate state’s interest, no matter whose ox is gored.”
