Eastern Obolo Leaders Kick Against Illegal Closure Of Creeks, Displacement Of Obianga/Ikonta Villages By Company

 

By Asuquo Edem 

Leaders of Eastern Obolo led by the Paramount Ruler HRM Uboon( Rt. Hon. Eld) Harry J. Etetor ,illile ix have vehemently expressed displeasure over what they described as illegal closure of Creeks, planned forceful displacement of Obianga/Ikonta Villages and irreparable devastation of the environment by Sterling Petrochemical & Fertilizer Limited.

Addressing a World Press Conference today at Villa Hilton Hotel, Uyo, the Paramount Ruler expressed concern over the operational activities of Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited (SPFL), an Indian Petrochemical Company operating within the territorial precinct of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area which HRM Uboon( Rt. Hon. Eld) Harry J. Etetor ,illile ix  noted has brought untold hardship to Indigenes of the area.

Reading their position paper, Chief Joshua Mathew Ayagwung,the Village Head of Emereoke 11 informed Journalists former governor Udim Emmanuel in 2022 had acquired 1736 hectares of ancestral land for the operations of Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited (SPFL) from Ikonta, Obianga, Okoroinyong, Egwenwe, Emereoke, Iwofe and Amazaba communities in Eastern Obolo, noting that since the commencement of civil works by SPFL, the lives of the people have been under siege as SPFL has deliberately refused to address the numerous environmental challenges faced by the communities despite repeated and persuasive engagements by the host communities. 

"Today, our land has become a theatre of oppression, harassment, intimidation, destruction of environment, ecosystem and blatant disregard for our fundamental rights. These challenges, if remained unaddressed, is capable of wiping out of existence over seven gazette villages in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area and permanently displacing the inhabitants of those villages".

Reading further, Chief Ayagwung stated that there was never an agreement either with the Akwa Ibom State Government or SPFL to permanently or temporarily close these strategic ancient routes which also serves as fishing grounds for the fishermen and women of the host communities adding that despite several protestations by the host communities, and a subsisting injunctive court order by Hon. Justice Joy Unwana of the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Suit No. HU/387/2023, these Indians operating SPFL led by one Col. Gush Amit and Mr. Naseer; armed with military personnel and militants, "forcefully and illegally closed the entirety of all the creeks thereby trapping our communities with no access in or out of the community. It should be noted that the said communities are islands with no access by road. Therefore, the closed creeks serve as our only access routes to markets, hospitals, schools and other places of our daily endeavors".

"As we speak, members of these communities are trapped and unable to access medical care for the sick and daily necessities, especially now that suspected cases of cholera have already claimed over 20 lives in one of the host communities. This is not just negligence; but it is a calculated act of oppression designed by the Indians to break our spirit and displace us from our ancestral homes..

"We want to state categorically that the people of Obianga and Ikonta Communities have no agreement with the Akwa Ibom State Government or SPFL or its agents or privies on relocation from their present ancient communities to any other location either within or outside Eastern Obolo. Credible information at our disposal within SPFL reveal that the company is determined, if unrestrained, to forcefully displace the people of Ikonta and Obianga out of their ancestral homes. We are aware that the forceful closure of the creeks is a thought-out evil strategy to strangulate the host communities and expose them to starvation, flooding, erosion, lack of access to medical care and basic necessities of life".

He stated that SPFL has consistently reached extant and applicable environmental Laws, breach agreements and engaged in Land Grabbing, not Complied with Local Content Law and Breached of Expatriate Quota and failed to meet Corporate Social Responsibility to the communities.

The leaders demanded SPFL to immediately reopen all blocked water ways and creeks and restore them to their original state to allow the people of Obianga and Ikonta have unhindered access in and out of their ancestral communities,  jettison any conceived or imaginary plan to relocate or displace the people of Ikonta and Obianga Communities, as they were not ready and willing to quit our ancestral homes for any reason whatsoever and pay the people of Eastern Obolo the sum of 100 million US dollars as compensation for the irreparable damage done to our environment and ecosystem.

They also called on the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Nigerian Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and other government agencies and International Environmental organizations to beam their regulatory search light on the operations of SPFL and ensure that they comply strictly with extant laws and global best practice while also calling on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service to investigate and prosecute any illegal Indian immigrant found within Eastern Obolo in particular and Akwa Ibom State at large. 

Present at the event were Chief Humphrey Oyet the Villages Head of Obianga, Chief Ayagwong J. M. Village Head of Emeroke including other Village Heads, Chiefs, Leaders of thoughts, women and youths of Eastern Obolo.