Ikot Etti and Ikot Aba communities in Mkpat Enin Local Government of Akwa Ibom State have risen against an oil firm, Sterling Global Ltd, over its failure to pay compensation.
In a peaceful protest yesterday, aged men and women and youths from both communities blocked the only access road leading to the company’s operational base in Eastern Obolo Local Government.
The protesters alleged that Geosiesmic Survey Ltd, which is prospecting for oil deposits in their communities on behalf of Sterling Global Ltd, has destroyed their farmland, houses and polluted their rivers.
They insisted that Sterling Global Petrochemical Ltd and Geosiesmic Survey Ltd must obey a high court injunction restraining them from operating in their communities until Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is carried out and compensation paid.
They carried placards with inscriptions, some of which read: ‘Sterling Global Petrochemical Ltd and Geosiesmic Survey Ltd must pay us compensation ov er land without delay’, ‘SGL must obey court order of Suit No HME/27/2023’, ‘We will agree with Sterling Global until compensation on our ancestral land is paid’, among others.
The youth presid ent of Ikot Etti, Mr. Joshua Owo, said they can no longer allow Global Petrochemical Ltd to undermine the communities.
“We are a peace loving community. Because of our peaceful disposition, Sterling Global Ltd has occupied our land at Akai without due compensation to us. “
“The most annoying part is that the company is occupying our land in defiance to a court injunction. The company has refused to honour a high court injunction of December 16 restraining it from carrying out operations on our land without proper EIA and negotiation.
“The court asked them to stop work so that they can come in and negotiate with us because they have damaged our crops, economic trees, houses and other means of livelihood.
Geosiesmic, working hand in hand with Sterling Global Ltd, deceived us and came to our land to prospect for oil without any compensation.
“I am calling on the state and federal governments, as well as other organs and agencies of the government to come in and help us,” he said.
The woman leader of Ikot Aba, Mrs. Blessing Peter, said: “Women are gathered here this morning because the Akai land we used to cultivate and feed our children with, the company came and seized it and destroyed our crops without coming to pay us compensation.
“The court issued an injunction stopping the company from using our land until adequate compensation is paid.”
Mrs. Eno Obot, woman leader of Ikot Aba, said: “We are here to demand our right. The company has destroyed our farmlands at Ikot Aba.
“We are experiencing hunger because our farmlands, which we used to cultivate, have been seized by Sterling Global Ltd.”
Efforts to reach the Community Relations Manager of Geosiesmic Survey Ltd, Philip Aguda, an engineer; were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off.
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