Coastal Highway: A/Ibom Youths Demand Compensation For Shrines, Others

Work on the Okobo local government area, Akwa Ibom State’s section of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, have been disrupted by angry youths of Nsie community, demanding adequate compensation for houses, farmlands, shrines, tombs and aquatic ecosystems destroyed by construction firms handling the project.

Checks by LEADERSHIP revealed the first phase is nearing completion ahead of May 2026, deadline, but the aggrieved residents have expressed anger that compensation for properties destroyed had not been adequately remitted to the beneficiaries, out of the reported N18 billion earmarked for it by the federal government.

They accused Hitech Construction Company, a consulting firm for the project, for not living up to expectation in compensation disbursements to the rightful owners.

Consequently, it was learnt, desperate youths of Nsie community, stormed the Hitech Construction sites with large convoy of motorcycles with armed hoodlums, to shut down the firm, demanding settlement before work could continue.

Although it was yet to be ascertained the magnitude of damage to the company’s assets, the irate boys drawn from both the local and national. leadership of Nsie Youth Association (NYA) representing the five

villages making up Nsie Clan, occupied the premises for several hours before community leaders and stakeholders arrived to calm frayed nerves.

Among the traditional rulers who sued for peace included; Chief Bassey Philip of Nsie Eyo Omoyo village and Chief Bassey John Bassey, of Nsie Eyo Imansek village, calling on the Ahta Oro and Paramount Ruler of Okobo, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Ita Okokon, to use the traditional instrument to address the matter.

According to the protesting youths, compensation packages meant for the community have been hijacked by the Community Liaison Officer (CLO), a lecturer at the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), whom they accused of haphazard disbursements of the funds and shortchanging several beneficiaries.

A senior official of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of Nsie Youth Association (NYA), Comrade Victor Daniel Etim, maintained that the youths’ position was absolutely necessary if they must reclaim the community’s rights and privileges.

Distancing himself from any campaign to vandalize equipment and assault company workers, he warned the protesters holding the construction project hostage while commending President Bola Tinubu, for the initiative under his administration.

“It’s very wrong for an indigene of the community and a staff of Akwa Ibom State university to have fraudulently presented himself to Hitech Construction Company, acting on behalf of the community and manipulated the bank account details of the village head of Nsie community, to facilitate his dubious machination and successfully hacked into the accounts of the rightful beneficiaries of the compensation,” another beneficiary lamented.

He recalled that the CLO had approached the village heads of the affected communities who are barely literate and arm-twisted them into obliging them with the bank account details to facilitate the disbursement of the cash without consulting the rightful owners.

In his remark, the national president of Nsie Youth Association, Mr.

Unwana Okon Oyononwi, condemned the act of a single

individual taking advantage of the entire community for personal gain.

He, therefore, urged the paramount ruler to use his royal authority and interface with the community leaders of Nsie, the youths and Hitech management, to investigate the allegation of defrauding the community as well as bring him to justice.

However, investigations have revealed that Hitech Company has provided adequate compensation and support to the affected communities through various initiatives including jobs, skills empowerment and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) services.