Tension Over New Mapping Of Akwa Ibom Oil Communities

Tension has mounted in some oil-bearing communities of Eastern Obolo, Mbo and Ibeno local government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, as host community stakeholders condemned the new mapping order by government, redrawing the boundary lines, which they argued was politically-motivated and a ploy to cede their oil and gas belt zones to other non – oil producing areas.

Under the regime tagged: “State Map Established Law 2023,” the House of Assembly led by the speaker Aniekan Bassey, LEADERSHIP gathered, had passed the bill last week, and the governor is expected to assent to it before his May 29 exit date.

But the fuming oil community stakeholders under the aegis of Obolo Youths Coalition Worldwide (OYCW), rejected the decision, arguing that they were not consulted, and that the action was taken in fragrant disregard to the subsisting court order on the matter.

Addressing journalists in Uyo, the state capital, the president of the coalition, Comrade Ijonama Mkpon Amon, said: “While all the Christians around the world were mourning the death of Christ including Obolo people, we were shocked and dismayed, that it has come to our notice that the Akwa Ibom State Government, through the State’s House of Assembly in blatant contempt of the valid and subsisting order of a court of competent jurisdiction, has resumed, and is hurriedly ramping up its charade of attempting to redraw and remap the boundaries of Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Mbo Local Government Areas of the State. These Local Government Areas are indigenous to the Obolo people.

“Let it be on the note that, we the Obolo people have never at any time, requested for any such boundary alteration or remapping of our affected Local Government Areas as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as such illegality is illegality.

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“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for at least 2/3 majority of the members of a Local Government Area that seeks or is affected by a request for boundary adjustment to commence and validate any application for the alteration of the mutual boundaries of the local government areas affected.

“The people of Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Mbo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State never at any time proposed, requested, applied for, demanded or gave their approval to any purported boundary adjustment or remapping that affects their respective Local Government Areas.

“This is a sinister call to anarchy and the Akwa Ibom State and its agents are hereby called upon by the Obolo people to sheathe this move as it spells foreseeable resistance and indefinite chaos.”

But the governor denied any ulterior motives, saying the government’s decision to intervene was to protect the state’s common boundaries to stem constant skirmishes around the border communities.