By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
A Civil Society Organization (CSO), United Front for Good Governance (UFGG), has expressed worry over the resurgence of pockets of agitations for self determination by some aggrieved ethnic groups in Akwa Ibom.
The group in a statement made available to newsmen in Uyo yesterday said that “bad politics remains the major driving force fuelling the struggle”.
National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Effiong Abasinyang, explained that the gab of ethnic hatred and politics of exclusion have become widened, blaming it on “insensitivity and insincerity to the feelings and aspirations of the people.’
He pointed out that the riverine communities of Eastern Obolo, Oron and Ibeno at the peripheral bounds of the Atlantic Ocean, had long been fighting for Atlantic state, following years of marginalization and neglect.
In the same vein, a youth activist from Eastern Obolo, Comrade Ezekiel Harry lamented that the state government has adopted a policy of ethnic hatred against the Obolos and the Ijaws in Akwa Ibom, because they want us to go and be with our Andoni brothers in River state.
“The government has taken large swathe of our land to plant coconut that will feed the Coconut refinery the administration is building at Mkpat Enin, our next door neighbor and the land was seized without any consultation with leaders and stakeholders of Eastern Obolo.
“And now, the administration is planning to establish a major oil and gas project on the shores of Eastern Obolo to Oron and Ibeno so that the remaining land will go.
“The administration is pushing for ethnic extinction of the Obolos in Akwa Ibom; that is why it is trying to push us into the Atlantic ocean without considering the fact that we produce bulk of crude oil that contributed to the state being the number one revenue earner from the Federation Account.
“We reject that project because if such mega project is located in Eastern Obolo, a major crude oil producer in the state, it means we are completely doomed with gas flaring and other environmental pollutions everywhere.” Harry said.
Also speaking, former Commissioner for Housing, Iroigak Ikann, noted the people of Eastern Obolo are agitating for a separate because of marginalization and neglect by the state government.
‘’My community has been seriously marginalized , forgotten in the provision of amenities. We may be a very small co munity, but over 50 percent of the oil that sustains Akwa Ibom state comes there. It I oil money that sustains Akwa Ibom state, not palm oil money.’’ Ikann said.
It was learnt the memo for the creation of Obolo state had already been delivered to the National Assembly and would comprise of Eastern Obolo, Oron, Ibeno, Uruefong Oruko, Okobo, Mbo, Udung Uko Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom and Andoni in River state.
The Annang speaking Local Government Areas in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, had also resurrected their campaign for the creation of Itai state.
The memo for Itai state creation was presented Thursday last week by stakeholders of the region led by Sir Emem Akpabio to the Senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial, Obong Christopher Stephen Ekpenyong, for onward transmission to the leadership of the 9th Senate.
