By INIOBONG SUNDAY, UYO
Ulok Ulok Progressives Assembly, UUPA, a socio-cultural association of Ibeno ethnic nationality in Akwa Ibom has expressed anxiety over alleged plot by Eket People’s Union, EPU, in Eket and Esit Eket Local Government Areas to resume hostilities against the oil community of Ibeno.
Calling on the Federal and State governments to intervene, the Ibeno ethnic leaders noted that if allowed to resurge, the crisis has the potential of of disrupting oil production and sabotage federal government effort to increase crude oil production in the country.
The fresh threats, it was learnt, is fuelled by the ongoing struggle for the ownership of Stubb Creek Forest in Ibeno LGA, acquired by BUA Group for a refinery project and Landmark Beach Resort in the area.
Rising from an emergency consultative meeting in Ukpenkang, headquarters of Ibeno LGA, host to the defunct Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited ,MPNU, at the weekend, leaders of the association explained that, the purported quit notice issued to Ibeno people by the duo to vacate their present territory, has the potential of disrupting the peace being enjoyed in the State by both citizens and investors.
They averred that, the so-called “Quit Notice” is not targeted at Ibeno, because, Ibeno is a LGA was created by law but, they are targeting the existing and intending investors trooping into Ibeno by virtue of the God’s given abundant oil/gas and other natural resources found in Ibeno.
The group noted that, the latest threat to resume hostility against Ibeno; a major oil producing LGA in the state, was a follow up to the December 2024 bloody attack, which claimed dozens of lives and properties destroyed with many victims hospitalized.
They recalled that, “Eket and Esit Eket, are notorious in scaring away investors within their domain by creating insecurity; stating clear examples to include the defunct Mobil Pegasus Club, Dr. Pepper Bottling Company, Qua Steel Company and Qua River Hotel, which folded up due to insecurity in Eket as a whole, and most recently, frustrated the State Government effort in revitalizing Akwa Palm Industries in Esit Eket.
According to them, “Till date, all efforts by both the state and federal governments to site industry within Eket and Esit Eket LGAs have met brick wall due to hostility allegedly created by few individuals, which led to stifling of development, and now trying to extend same to neighbouring Ibeno.
“The leadership of Ekid People’s Union ,EPU, led by Dr. Samuel Udonsak, as President, had issued a quit notice, warning the people of Ibeno, to vacate their ,Ibeno, ancestral land, querying, why a sovereign LGA, created and gazette by the Federal Government should be ordered to leave their present location by a sister LGA?
The body also accused the former Minister of Lands, Chief Nduese Essien; the Paramount rulers of Eket and Esit Eket LGAs; as well as stakeholders from the two LGAs of working in alliance to stoke the embers of violence against Ibeno, because of its oil and gas resources.
The UUPA, however, appealed to the state and Federal Governments to wade in to forestall a further breakdown of law and order in the area, stating that, the siting of BUA refinery and other oil/gas industries in Ibeno, would not only benefit the Ibeno people alone, but the entire state and the country in general.
A communique issued after the emergency meeting and signed by Enienwe Carlson Okwuoluo, as it’s Mayor, Enienwe Nkaan Ikat, Secretary – General and Enienwe Ukot Ibono Enyina, Public Relations Officer, which was made available to newsmen maintained that, peace remained a panacea for development to thrive saying, the confrontational posture of their Ekid neighbours to existing and intending investors pose a clear danger to scare dozens of oil/gas investors and allied businesses from the area.
The communique which read in parts stated: “We the indigenous people of Ibeno ethnic nationality with our Ijaw and Obolo brothers spread across the Niger Delta stand for peace.
“We have been keeping quiet and toe the line of peace hoping the aggressors from Ekid nation would see reason and refrain from scaring away investors through frequent attacks, killings, disruptions of our fishing businesses and dislocation of our people.
“For many years, the people of Ekid had thrived on violence, picking up wars against the defunct Mobil Producing Nigeria ,MPN, destroying oil and gas infrastructure including the Mobil Pegasus football club, preventing the use of Mobil airstrip, construction of MPN Staff Estate and the obstruction of the recent proposal for the establishment of the Nigerian Air Force Base using the defunct MPN Airstrip.
“We are for peace and we have openly welcomed and will continue to welcome all the oil and gas companies and other allied businesses to come and invest in Ibeno Local Government Area. But they cannot operate successfully under the atmosphere of tension created by our neighbours.
“We are therefore calling on them to sheathe their swords and respect the peace overtures of Governor Umo Eno, who had since appealed to all the warring factions to embrace peace as the matter is already awaiting determination in Court.
“But if we are push to come to shove, we will not hesitate to defend ourselves, investors and even rally our Ijaw and Obolo kinsmen across the Niger – Delta region to fight our cause. We have been here since immemorial, and even if we had been here for only 10 years; it is within our constitutional rights to become free citizens.
“Ibeno produces about 60 percent of the entire oil resources in Akwa Ibom and generates higher percentage of both Gross Domestic Product ,GDP, and the Internally Generated Revenues ,IGR, through the oil firms and other allied businesses.
“So, by this notice, we are drawing both the federal and state governments to this looming crisis plotted by Ekid, which can escalate to disrupt oil production activities thereby causing national sabotage to the state and federal government in a season that everyone is harping on energy security.
“We have respect for the rule of law and will not want anybody to push us to carry arms thereby disrupting the peace being enjoyed in our area, and in line with the Commissioner of Police ,CP, Baba Azare’s directive to all youths to refrain from stoking crisis in oil bearing communities; we have also warned our youths accordingly to remain peaceful with the oil companies in Ibeno LGA.
“We call on the police and other security agencies in the State to wade into the looming violence with a view to nipping it in the bud, as well as arrest/prosecuting those perceived as economic saboteurs in Eket and Esit Eket Local Government Areas”.
