BY KENNETH JUDE
The women of Obio Etoi yesterday took to the streets to protest their non employment in the newly built Akwa Ibom International stadium billed for commissioning tomorrow by President Goodluck Jonathan. The women numbering over fifty barricaded the gates and marched round the premises of the stadium chanting diverse solidarity songs with placards bearing different inscriptions as: ‘’ our women need employment; our farmlands are gone; Obio Etoi women are crying; we are homeless; Godswill Akpabio, you have done well but...’’
They were also armed with palm fronds and other materials to register their displeasure over what they described as government’s insensitivity to their wellbeing. Speaking with THE INK, one of the protesting women said that what they are agitating for is their right and the need to compensate them with employment. ‘’ we want our right; we want to work in this stadium; we are not requesting for much asides the job of sweeping and keeping the surroundings clean. We were promised that as soon as this stadium is completed, we’ll be employed to work here at least to sweep or as cleaners but now, we hear that they took down names of some girls whom we are not sure are from this village. We the women can work; they should employ us.’’ She pleaded.
Speaking in that vein, Mrs. Glory Etim Effiong noted that it is the farmland which served as their source of livelihood that government has taken over. ‘’This land provided food for us because we used to farm here hence since government took the land, we don’t have any other place to farm. As if that was not enough, they employed people from different parts of the world in total neglect of the women of Obio Etoi. We have been denied our right in our land same with our children. They should employ us so that we will have something to sustain our families since we have no other place to eke out a living other than here. We need help because it’s our right.’’
Another respondent who spoke with our reporter said, ‘we don’t have any market in this community that will fetch us money asides working here.’’ She added that the only compensation they need from government is for them to be employed as others so that they can cater for their families. Mrs. Margaret Moses Offiong who is the vice president of Esop Iban in the community bared her mind this way: ‘’we are here to demand our right. We plead that women should be employed to work in this stadium. It’s our right to work here because this facility is sited in our community. We got information that the governor will be coming today that’s why we had to cut short our meeting to come here. We want to work here as cleaners.’’ Asked if she’s aware of news making the round that persons indigenous to the community are the ones employed in the stadium, she said that she’s not aware of such development adding that all she wants is to work in order to secure a good future for the children of Obio Etoi. On insinuations that the youths of the village are not also given a look in, she claimed ignorance saying that though she has heard such tales but she can’t say with exactitude if it’s true noting rather that they are only fighting the course of women.
The boisterous and vociferous women had to be tamed by the commissioner of Environment, Prince Enobong Uwah who arrived the venue ostensibly to inspect the goings on in the stadium but had to intervene when the women brandished placards, shouting and blocked the gate. His efforts to address the teeming women were overwhelmed by piercing noise until he elected to meet with the president of the group inside the stadium. At the end of the parley, the women leader came and addressed the apprehensive women who had blocked the convoy of Dr. Emem Abasi Bassey, commissioner for Health from entering the stadium with their placards hoisted a notch higher even as an enraged Enobong Uwah managed to calm them before they cleared the pathway. Addressing the women, the president who simply gave her name as Mma Uko explained that the work being carried out at the moment is not the one government promised to give them, that it’s a voluntary work. Hear her: ‘’ I thank all of you that came out today because we came out to demand for our right and we will get what belongs to us. Government says that the ongoing work is not the one they promised to give us.
In fact, when the time comes, nursing mothers, aged women and those on the plumb side will not be employed. He (Enobong Uwah) has endorsed just ten girls to be employed. When the time comes, those chosen will be employed on permanent basis; those that have been chosen are mainly youths. I don’t know them but if you are a member of Esop Iban, rest assured that something good will come because they have promised to call me when the time is right.’’ She added that those women yet to give their names to do so as soon possible so that they won’t be left out of whatever will be handed out to Esop Iban.
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