We’re not opposed to FG Highway but wrong use of ancestral land – Ekid people

By Kehinde Folarin

Abuja: The Ekid people of Akwa Ibom State say they are in support of the Federal Government highway running from Lagos to Calabar, which also passes through Akwa Ibom State.

The people in a statement made available to Vanguard in Abuja on Sunday, said they were however opposed to the wrong use of their ancestral land known as the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve by the Akwa Ibom State Government over time.

The statement, which was jointly signed by Ekid Peoples Union Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Nduese Essien and the Secretary, Prince Bassey Itama, said it was uncharitable for the governor of the state to claim that the people were opposed to the the strategic road project, when there was no such opposition to the project whatsoever.

The statement said in part: “Ekid people are not opposed to development. This must be stated clearly and repeatedly, because it lies at the heart of the current misunderstanding. We desire development in all its forms. We want roads, hospitals, schools, industries, and opportunities for our young people, just like every other community in Akwa Ibom State.

“What we oppose is a model of development that treats host communities as inconveniences, that circumvents the law, and that ignores history and culture. Insisting on due process in land acquisition is not hostility; it is a legitimate demand grounded in law and citizenship.

“It is also necessary to address attempts to personalise or delegitimise Ekid resistance by targeting the leadership of Ekid People’s Union. Dr. Samuel Udonsak, President of EPU, is the duly recognised head of its Executive Committee and the authorised spokesman of Ekid people. Whatever actions he has taken regarding the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve have been taken with the full authorisation and backing of the Ekid people.

“There is no parallel authority, no rogue agenda, and no personal ambition at play. To isolate or vilify him is to misunderstand the collective nature of Ekid decision-making and to misrepresent the unity of purpose that exists on this issue.

“Contrary to some narratives, Ekid people have not opposed the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as a federal project. We understand the importance of regional connectivity and economic integration. We also know that the Federal Government, in constructing the Highway in other parts of the country, has adhered to land acquisition processes, engaged host communities, and paid compensation where required.

“The caveat issued by Ekid People’s Union was not a call to stop development. It was a warning to private investors that illegal land racketeering was ongoing within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve and that ancestral land was being allocated without consultation, consent, or compensation.

“This caveat did not arise in a vacuum. It was prompted by repeated actions in which Ekid land within the Stubbs Creek was transferred to security agencies and private companies as though no indigenous owners existed. Such actions, if left unchallenged, would set a dangerous precedent and permanently dispossess Ekid people of their heritage. Silence, in this context, would have amounted to surrender.

“While we recognise the strong temptation governments often face to convert natural assets into quick revenue, we respectfully submit that such  a panicky approach would be a grave mistake in the case of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve. Nigeria’s experience with crude oil reserves should serve as a cautionary lesson. For decades, the nation has sold off its oil reserves for short term fiscal gains, often without adequate consideration for sustainability,environmental protection, or the wellbeing of future generations.

“The increasingly harsh rhetoric directed at Ekid people appears designed to intimidate and silence them, possibly to obscure questionable land transactions carried out over the past six years under the false assumption that government owns all land within Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.

 “In its continued drive for transparency in land allocation in Stubbs Creek Forest Reserves, last year the EPU President publicly lauded His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno’s directive that all land allocations in the State from 2023 be revoked. EPU also urged His Excellency to extend that directive to Stubbs Creek Forests. We state firmly and clearly that Ekid people will not be intimidated into surrendering their rights. We will not be coerced into silence to legitimise illegality. Our resolve is rooted in law, history, and a responsibility to generations yet unborn.

“We call for a cessation of hostile rhetoric, for genuine engagement with Ekid stakeholders, for transparent environmental and social impact assessments, and for a reconsideration of any project that threatens to destroy Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve. Alternative routes exist. Innovative solutions are possible. What is required is a political will grounded in wisdom.

Ekid people remain open to dialogue provided we are not expected to sign off our inalienable rights. We remain committed to peace. We remain willing partners in the development of Akwa Ibom State,” the Ekid people stated.

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