Unyenge community in the Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has cautioned the State Government against an attempt to cede its ancestral land to another community.
Unyenge community, which is a part of Obolo nation, described the Map Establishment Bill, which was passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on April 13 as an attempt to extend some landlocked councils to the coastal area.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Unyenge Community Chairman, Chief Itama Ekpe; Secretary, Mr. Kany Nkwobia and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bassey Ekpimah, in Unyenge, Mbo LGA and made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
The statement condemned the government’s action, insisting that by trying to cede Unyenge to a landlocked community, the government is silently calling for war between Unyenge and its neighbouring communities.
“There is a great cataclysm in Unyenge community, Mbo and the entire Obolo local government areas (LGAs) in Akwa Ibom State.
“Consequent upon the repugnant Map Establishment Bill being passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on April 13, 2023, seeking to extend some landlocked LGAs in Esit Eket, Eket, Onna, Mkpat Enin, and Ikot Abasi through the Obolo lands in Mbo, Ibeno, and Eastern Obolo LGAs being the littoral region of the state to the seashore.
“The people of Obolo Nation of which Unyenge is an integral component, denounce unreservedly this iniquitous, unprincipled, legislative manoeuvre of the Akwa Ibom State Government to arrogate the ancestral lands of Obolo to any community or local government area whatsoever under the guise of remapping,” statement said.
The statement added that right from the creation of Akwa Ibom State on September 23, 1987, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Boundary Commission had carved out and precisely delineated both the external territorial borders and the internal geographical boundaries among all the local government areas that constitute the state.
It noted further that the boundaries are conspicuously depicted on the map of the state on the state’s website (www.akwaibomstate.gov.ng) and printed on all official documents, gubbins, and other formal instruments of the state.
According to the statement, surprisingly, it is quite hilarious and irrational to hear the Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr. Udom Emmanuel lay claim to a non-existent official gazetted map of the state.
The community in the statement added that the Akwa Ibom governor has gone as far as expropriating power to himself and thereby breaching the rule of law, even as he shows no consideration for a Court Order given by a court of competent jurisdiction.
It stated that the Unyenge community is strongly admonishing any public officers to refrain from engaging in any act of injustice and abuse of power, to eschew fuelling antagonism, communal upheaval, social and economic instability.
The statement stressed: “As much as we, the Obolo, are peace-loving people, we will not hesitate to invoke all legal tools and civil procedures to fight for the maintenance of our ancestral territory should the government proceed with this unreasonable and inconsiderate bill.”
