Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
By Abasifreke Effiong
The Akwa Ibom State Government has spoken on the purported plan to re-draw the map of the State.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barr. Ini Ememobong, said the State Executive Council has not yet received a correspondence from the House of Assembly on the matter.
Barr. Ememobong, who spoke exclusively to The Dune on Thursday said the State Executive Council can only respond to issues raised on the purported remapping after it has received a copy of the resolution of the House of Assembly.
“The story is that the House of Assembly passed a resolution directing the Surveyor General of the State to take immediate and appropriate steps to produce generally acceptable, approved and gazetted map for the State. That resolution did not emanate from the EXCO, so it is wrong for anyone to accuse the Governor of any wrongdoing for that matter.”
“As I speak to you, EXCO has not received an official communication from the House of Assembly yet”, Barr. Ememobong said.
Tension has built up in Eastern Obolo, one of the coastal and border local government areas in Akwa Ibom State over the purported plan to redraw the State’s map.
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Groups in Eastern Obolo have accused the Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, of attempting to cede communities in the local government to ONNA, the Governor’s local government area.
The groups alleged that the remapping is politically masterminded to give crude oil producing status to the Governor’s local government area.
One of the groups, Eastern Obolo People in Diaspora, EOPD, in the United Kingdom have accused the Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, of making the move to delineate communities in the local government.
It said the exercise is to “usurp Eastern Obolo land”.
Eastern Obolo People in Diaspora in a communique signed by her President, Dr Nicholas Itam and Secretary General, Mr. Manfred Gwunireama, said “there was nothing wrong with the original map to warrant this re-mapping.”
“It is evident that this move is motivated by selfish interest and envy of Eastern Obolo by perpetrators of this evil act, whose only goal is to become a littoral community in order to benefit from the 3% derivatives allocated to host communities under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which was recently signed into Law by President Buhari in August 2021”, the group said.
Even though the focus and coverage of the purported remapping is not yet public, Ilima Obolo, a socio-cultural organisation working for the promotion of the ideals of Eastern Obolo people says that 17 communities in Eastern Obolo local government would be ceded to ONNA, Mkpat Enin and Ikot Abasi local government areas.
Secretary General of the group, Dr Amah William, listed the communities to include, Atabrikang, Iko, Edonwik, Okorombokho, Elekpong, Elile, Amadaka, Ikonta, Obianga, Amauka, Okorobilom, Ozubor, Isiotoyo, Amanglass, Bethlehem, Iwofe and parts of Okoroete.
Meanwhile, spokesman of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Barr. Aniefiok Dennis, says there is no reason for any group to be apprehensive about the resolution of the House.
Punch quoted the House spokesman as saying that ‘there’s no need to be unnecessarily apprehensive; we are sure that the relevant government agencies, persons, bodies and/or commissions will be thorough in carrying out their constitutional duties (mapping) by ensuring that no group, village or local government area is short-changed or robbed.’
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READ FULL PRESS RELEASE BY EASTERN OBOLO PEOPLE IN DIASPORA (EOPD), UNITED KINGDOM.
1. We have been watching and monitoring with keen interest the ongoing events in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and have noted the extensive state of marginalisation and neglect of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area by successive state administrations.
2. The recent move by the state government under Governor Emmanuel Udom to delineate the state with the sole aim of usurping Eastern Obolo land (which is our ancestral heritage) is very concerning, very unfortunate and totally unacceptable.
3. There was nothing wrong with the original map to warrant this re-mapping.It is evident that this move is motivated by selfish interest and envy of Eastern Obolo by perpetrators of this evil act, whose only goal is to become a littoral community in order to benefit from the 3% derivatives allocated to host communities under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which was recently signed into Law by President Buhari in August 2021.
4. It is noted that Governor Udom is using his political office as the state Governor to perpetrate this evil, subjugate and undermine the people of Eastern Obolo, usurp their land and arrogate the land to his local government of origin, Onna local Government, in order to make claims to the above mentioned 3% allocation from the Federal Government.
5. It is evident that the Governor does not mean well for the people of Eastern Obolo who have suffered gross neglect under his government. We are aware of several projects the government has been commissioning in other parts of the state but none has been deemed fit for the people of Eastern Obolo despite the support he has enjoyed from the people who have helped return him to office in his second term.
6. The economic life of the people of Eastern Obolo has been deliberately stifled by the administration of Governor Udom who has refused to provide basic facilities and amenities like roads, water, etc in the area. Okoroette – Akpaden Road which is the main link between the local government and other parts of the state remains a bobby trap.
7. The 10 kilometres Okoroete-Elile-Madaka-Kampa road has remained on construction for several years without tangible progress. We have also noted that no indigene of the Eastern Obolo has been deemed to merit an appointment into the state executive council although we have capably qualified individuals ready and willing to serve.
8. The people of Eastern Obolo rely solely on fishing and fishery products for their livelihood and these have been greatly adversely impacted by the activities of oil explorations in the area, both on-shore and off-shore. They have suffered immensely from the impact of oil spillages and gas flaring over the years with no government intervention or interest. And Mr Udom’s government has not taken any interest in the wellbeing of these communities but now wants to obliterate them and claim their natural resources and ancestral heritage.We are therefore condemning this so-called re-mapping of the Akwa Ibom State as it is mischievous, ill-conceived and totally unnecessary.
9. It serves on the interest of Mr Emmanuel Udom and his cohort whose intention is to obliterate Eastern Obolo from the map for their personal gains.We hereby call on Governor Udom to desist from this re-mapping and delineation exercise with immediate effect, as it goes against his oath of office and is totally unnecessary and unacceptable.
10. The people of Eastern Obolo will not accept encroachment and usurping of their land and ancestral heritage by whosoever. Obolo land is not for sale. We will stand united against this evil act and will pursue all legal avenues to challenge it.
WE SAY NO TO MARGINALISATION!
WE SAY NO TO INJUSTICE!!
WE SAY NO TO USURPING OUR LAND!!!
WE STAND UNITED AND STRONG!!!!
LONG LIVE EASTERN OBOLO!
LONG LIVE OBOLO NATION!
Signed:
Dr Nicholas Itam (President)
Manfred Gwunireama (General Secretary)
