Host Communities Beg Akwa Ibom, FG, To Call SPFL To Order

Friday August 15, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |

Host communities of Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited, SPFL, in Akwa Ibom State, under the aegis of Mboho Ikot Abasi, have appealed to Governor Umo Eno and the Federal Government to compel the firm to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA of the community and reach a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with them to address their concerns.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Friday, August 15, the President General of the group Mkpisong Jerry Okoko, flanked by the elders of the communities, urged the governor to intervene to forestall complete breakdown of law and order in the area.

They regretted that despite several letters sent to the company over the years to conduct and submit its EIA as required by law and to have audience with the people, nothing has been done.

The elders highlighted some of their grievances to include: unlawful construction of a permanent barricade blocking access to the Atlantic coastline, encroachment and environmental degradation, non-inclusion of Ikot Abasi in implementation of Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDT) , discriminatory employment practices and failure to conduct mandatory environmental impact assessment as required by law for their operations, among others.

The elders lamented the disparity in wages, with workers from Akwa Ibom reportedly earning far less than their counterparts from Lagos and other states.

According to them, “We have lost the ecosystem particularly the forest system which necessary in balancing the environment in this area . We have lost the farmland that people were depending upon, marine mangrove barriers that shielded the community from wind influx in the ocean among others .

“We hereby put Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited (SPFL) and their affiliate companies on notice that henceforth, Ikot Abasi people will no longer tolerate or condone these unlawful activities and suppression of our people under any circumstances.

“We call on the State government to call Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited and their affiliate companies to order to forestall complete breakdown of law and order.”

The elders noted that their patience has been overstretched and would take every possible action to ensure that rights and resources are restored.

Reacting, a senior worker with the company who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said, “The contents of the letter do not accurately reflect our company’s actions and stance.”