Eket Youths at war with Elders ...named Council Chair, Ex Minister, University Prof as saboteurs

Youths in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom have protested over alleged denial of consultant job by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), Unlimited, a subsidiary of NNPC/MPN Joint Venture.
The protesters numbering about 100 youths match through major streets in Eket local government and chatting songs of war.

The youths carried placards with inscription such as “Oil Spill Consultant is strictly Eket Affairs’’, “let’s say No to Betrayers’’, “Eket People should stop betraying their self’’.
 “Eket Youths stand for consultant,’’ “the voice of our Eket youths, Give us Eket Consultant’’, “we need complete freedom in Eket.

Chief Isaiah Bob, the Youth President of Uda Iko Eket, accused Mobil of inflicting injustice on them by denying them of consultancy job.

He alleged that Mobil had diverted the consultancy job won by an Eket indigene, Mr. Aniefiok Monday to somebody else.

“The situation have come to our notice that the consultancy job for the oil spillage palliative project meant for an indigene of Eket have been sold out to somebody in Uyo.

“An Eket indigene from Iko Eket, Aniefiok Monday Assam won the technical bid with his company Ultimate Power Engineering Ltd, so we are saying no to all attempts to shortchange us by substituting his name for another because some Elders and the council Chairman wants to make profit from it.
The oil spillage palliative project is meant for an Eket man because he won the bid’’ Chief Bob said.

He accused ExxonMobil of serving injustice to the people of Eket adding that the company is imposing a contract which was bidded and won by an indigene to non indigenes of the core oil communities.
“We want peace to reign and any attempt to impose somebody on us, we will not accept it,’’ he said.
He called on the State Government to come to their aid, adding that the Eket son won the technical bid and wonder why Mobil should hand over the contract for an Uyo indigene.

“I want the Government to talk to Mobil to stand on its technical bid and take who ever qualify for the job.

He urged ExxonMobil to stand on Local Content Law.

Speaking further, a protester said, they had to carry out the protest because of the unfair and unjust treatment that has been served on them. Our source said it is sad that leaders of the Local Government and some dishonest traditional rulers have allowed themselves to be used against Eket People.

The protesters specifically pointed accusing fingers at the former minister of lands and Housing Chief Ndueso Essien as well as Prof Etie Ben Akpan whom they accused and described as sellers of the destiny of Eket Local Government Areas simply because of Peanuts.

Youths blamed the council Chairman and the oil spill committee members as well as some prominent Eket leaders for selling out the right of Eket to outsiders. Committee members includeProf Etie Ben Akpan whom some chiefs and youths said, connived with his nephew (Aniekan Akpan, the Eket council Chairman), ObongAnwan Comfort Enodien wife of the late former paramount ruler of Eket, a certain Chief Udo Akpan who is the Secretary of the Oil Spill Committee as well as some of the traditional rulers who are members of the traditional rulers council.

But even in the camp of those shortchanging Eket people, there appears to be some intrigues as Aniekan Akpan and his men do not appear to be comfortable with the Secretary Chief Udo Akpan. Sources informed THE INK that Chief Akpan had even gone ahead to open a special account with the wife to the former Paramount ruler Obonganwan Enodien as a signatory to the said account.

Checks by THE INK newspaper revealed that all these seeming interests as as a result of the fact that Edidem Oduenyie the Paramount ruler of Eket is presently indisposed. At a meeting, Aniekan Akpan is said to have directed Chief Akpan to handover the documents of the oil spill committee to Chief ECD Abia who many said is the Vice Chairman of the committee.  
More details as events unfold in our next edition