Protest in Afaha Oku over land *as communities place injunction

Protest in Afaha Oku over land
 *as communities place injunction
 * send vulture messenger to Iba Oku village head

BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

The people of Afaha Group of villages, comprising of Iba Oku, Afaha Oku and Nduetong Oku communities on Wednesday went to the streets of Uyo Village road, protesting and calling on the State Government to steer away from their land, Ekpene Ntong at Afaha Oku.

The protest which started at 10.am lasted for about three hours and saw elderly women, men, youths as well as masquerades protesting with leafs in their hands, pointing accusing fingers on the village head of Iba Oku community, Eteidung Gabriel Patrick Mbeke whom they accused of trying to claim the whole portion of the land for himself and family as well as selling some part of the land.

Speaking with THE INK, Chief Effiong Thomas Akpan Who hails from Afaha Oku village said, the land is owned by three villages, Iba Oku, Afaha Oku and Ndue Otong Oku and that the land was allocated to government some years ago for a project (bank) to be sited but was later relocated to elsewhere. He said since State Government had taken major land in their communities to build University of Uyo, Art and Science, Ibom Science Park and Cornelia Connelly Collage (CCC) and the people of the communities were not compensated, they have decided to openly protest that Government should hands off the only portion of land that is left for the three communities. According to Chief Akpan “we are not happy that the village head of Iba Oku, Eteidung Gabriel Patrick Mbeke has decided to penetrate on this land without consulting us, we will never allow him. This is where our women are feeding from. This land belongs to Afaha group of villages and not a single. State Government or Eteidung Gabriel Patrick has no right over this land (Ekpene Ntong).” He said. 

Mr. Uwana Francis Etim who spoke on behalf of Iba Village, said “the land was allocated to the State Government by our fore fathers for State Government project to be sited,  for more than twenty-five years now, nothing has been done till today, we want to take back our land. Our Village Head, Eteidung Gabriel Patrick Mbeke has penetrated the land without the consent of any body. He is a selfish leader, so we want him to come out openly and explain to the whole village why he has trespassed the land.”

Mr. Anietie Pius who frown at the situation, said that State Government had promised to build Central bank on the portion of the land, but it was diverted to someway else. He angrily said “Our land has been taken for Government projects but none of our youths have been compensated. So we want Government to steer away from the only land that is left for us. The village of Iba Oku, Eteidung Gabriel Patrick Mbeke has started selling some part of the land to strangers, and we are moving to stop him. So we the youths have raised up to tell the Government and the in general public that the land is now a no go area. We don’t have any place to stay or build our houses apart from here.”     

Engineer Saviour Williams who is the youth leader of Afaha Oku village maintained that since the land is owned by the three communities, no person has the right to sell ant part of the land without consulting the three communities, adding that the land was acquired by government for so many years nothing has been done and that the youths have no other place to live in future apart from Ekpene Ntong land that is left. He called on the State Government to look into their plight.

Also speaking, Mr. Ifiok Etim Akpan from Iba Oku village said “my village head is trying to illegal sell some part this land to people. And we are here to say no to him. We have no other land apart from this land. While Chief Udo Michael from Afaha Oku village said “we have three types of messengers; we have vulture, Holy Spirit and a town crier. So since this is a matter of land, we are sending this (referring to vulture in his hand) as our messenger to go and tell the village head of Iba Oku, Eteidung Gabriel Patrick Mbeke to steer away from this land, because he is taking this land as his personal property.

In their separate speeches, Mrs. Umoren Udoessien, a widow, and Mrs. Affiong Udoebong lamented that they use the land to feed their families. Efforts to reach the village head of Iba Oku, Eteidung Gabriel Patrick Mbeke for comments proved abortive.