A youth group in Akwa Ibom State has asked Governor Umo Eno to ensure the full implementation of the state’s map establishment law or lose its support.
By Fortune Eresemole
A youth group in Akwa Ibom State has asked Governor Umo Eno to ensure the full implementation of the state’s map establishment law or lose its support.
The group, Itid Afigh Ekid Union, at a press conference held in Abuja on Monday, expressed disappointment over the claim by the governor that the state government could not proceed with the implementation of the law due to a court injunction.
At a press conference jointly addressed by the International Vice President and National President, Mr. Manfred Ekpe, and Rt. Hon. Dick Duke Prince, the youth group said it was worried that the governor could play into the hands of the enemies of Ekid and Ibibio coastal communities by failing to implement the law duly passed by the House of Assembly and assented to by the governor of the state.
The group said, “The union and indeed the Ekid/coastal Ibibio aborigines are disappointed in His Excellency for taking a decision unknown to law and very unprofessional but only smacks of conspiracy against the Ekid/Ibibio people by the enemies of Ibibio nation where His Excellency unfortunately seems to act as an agent allegedly for his personal interest in the mineral-rich Stubbs Creek Forest.
“The union observes that the case in court challenging the validity of the state Map Law referred to by His Excellency is not a claim for title to land. His Excellency, by virtue of his office and having been Commissioner for Lands in the immediate past administration, is aware of a plethora of time- tested judicial pronouncements, colonial and post-colonial government official reports and ordinances over the ownership of the Akwa Ibom coastal homelands, including but not limited to the Stubbs Creek Forest Judgment (1916/1918), the Down Bellow judgment (1943), the Intelligence Report on Ibeno (1936), the C.R.S Law No.9 of 1983, and the Justice Akpata Commission Report (1993), which all affirm and reaffirm the Ibibio ownership of the Atlantic coast in Akwa Ibom State and particularly the Ekid ownership of the Stubb’s Creek Forest.
“It is therefore quite preposterous and suspicious that over 110 years after the question of title to the land in issue had been decided by the highest court of law in London, His Excellency is misconstruing a suit challenging the legality of an enacted Map Law as if it is a suit on claim of title to land that would warrant stay of action pending determination of the suit.
“His Excellency is also aware that the State Map Law whether or not it be repealed or nullified by the court of law does not affect land ownership thereof and so the question of staying action on implementation because a case challenging the map is in court, does not arise. We advise His Excellency to stop comments on the matter as driven by his personal ambitions over the land but should seek proper legal advice on the matter.
“The union observes that while His Excellency claims Government cannot do anything for or against the state map law pending hearing and determination of the suit challenging its validity, His Excellency by secret dealings and by overt act is doing everything against the said map, to wit: (a) In July 2023 His Excellency through the deputy governor presented a fake State map to the visiting world bank team which violated the said enacted Map Law in force; (b) on 22 January 2024 the Media Unit of Government House released a fake map in the Arise Agenda Advertorial against the said enacted State Map Law; (3) on 22 February 2023 His Excellency performed the ceremony of 2Africa Submarine fiber optic cable from MainOne Company behind the EXXONMOBIL Q.I.T located on the Stubbs Creek Forest in Eket LGA but described the area as Ibeno LGA in a press statement issued from Government House Press Unit in total defiance of the State Map Law and extant court judgments
“His Excellency also deliberately avoided inviting the transition council chairman of Eket LGA to the event who is the Host, but invited the transition council chairman of Ibeno LGA as the host. How then can His Excellency justify his claim that Government will do nothing FOR or AGAINST the Map pending court judgement as to its validity when he in fact is already working with anti-Ibibio elements to do everything against the map?
“The union observes that His Excellency the governor had actually started implementing the amended 2024 Traditional Rulers Law while the validity of that law was and is still pending in the court of law and on the very day that the people of Annang and Oro ethnic groups were protesting against its implementation, citing the case in court. Yet, His Excellency chooses to play double standard by claiming that he cannot implement the state Map Law because it is a subject matter of a lawsuit? His Excellency should tell the world the difference between the Amended Traditional Rulers Law and the State Map Law. Equity does not allow one to blow hot in the day time but blow cold at night. It seems to us that His Excellency is only playing double standard for reasons best known to him and those urging him to work against the law.
“The union observes that His Excellency did not suspend his official functions as governor when the validity of his election was a subject matter of court action, then why does illegal suspension of enforcing an existing law affect only the Stubb’s Creek? This is double standard in its crudest manifestation.
The union debunks the claim of the governor made on 1st March 2024 while addressing the people at Esit Urua/Upenekang Roundabout that Government had taken over the Stubb’s Creek Forest and that the forest belongs to neither Eket, Esit Eket nor Ibeno but the Government. His Excellency cannot sit on an appeal over a valid court judgment which declared the land as belonging to the Ekid people. Neither can His Excellency delete section 44 from the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria which guarantees Nigerian citizens whether individually or as a community the right to own land. Union observes that such statement can only be made by a greedy and less informed governor. Even if it were correct that the land belongs to the Government, is it not located in Local Government Area within the state? His Excellency must tell the world which local government areas the land is located or whether that part of the state does not constitute and local government area,” the group said. (VanguardNews)
