Five villages in Ukana Clan, Essien Udim local government area that donated their communal land for the establishment of Universal basic Education UBE, Special Vocal School (a Federal Government project), have decried non-payment of compensation on economic trees that were destroyed in the area to give way for the project.
They have also decried government’s neglect following the destruction of their means of livelihood.
They have also decried government’s neglect following the destruction of their means of livelihood.
Members of the five villages which consist of Ukana Ikot Ngwo, Ukana Ikot Udo Etim, Ukana Ikot Osom, Ukana Ikot Udo Inam and Ukana Ikot Ide in a tearful chat with newsmen yesterday, said that the donation of their land for the project and inability to adequately compensate for the destruction of their means of livelihood, life had never been the same as they are faced with serious hardship.
“Shortly after we gave out the land which government promised to pay compensation for the economic trees destroyed, we never heard anything from them again. All we saw was the raising of structures which are near completion. We never heard from the government again even when some of our kinsmen have died due to the fact that what used to sustain them as peasant farmers have been taken from them and they don’t have anything to lean on.
“Till now, nothing has been done to alleviate the suffering of our people”.
The monarch said while they appreciated government’s lofty project for the community, he decried the negative effect and untold hardship that they are currently suffering.
He therefore made a passionate appeal to the state and federal government to come to their aid by paying them compensation.
On his part, the Village Head of Ukana Ikot Udo Etim, Chief Effiong Udo Udo Enwene said while the community really appreciated the siting of the project, it was however unfortunate that they only made to suffer when they should be thanking God and the political leaders of the community.
Other leaders of the five communities who spoke with newsmen to express concern over their total neglect were the village head elect of Ukana Ikot Osom, Chief Monday Sunday Udo, village chairman of Ukana Ikot Ngwo, Ime Akpan Umo, Village chairman of Ukana Ikot Udo Etim, Ime Akpan Okure and family head of Iwe, Alphonsus Johnsons Iwe.
They said that the call for federal and state government to pay compensation has become necessary as they do not want members of the community especially youths to react confrontationally with the authorities.
Meanwhile, a Human Rights group in the state, Community Policing Partners for Justice, Security and Democratic Reforms, has expressed displeasure over government taking over of the communal land with payment of compensation to owners of economic trees destroyed in the cause of raising structures on the said land.
The Executive Director of the organization, Mr. Saviour Akpan Esq, who condemned the acquisition of the land with settling the owners, said in a letter sent to the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel of which a copy is made available to our newsroom, that the acquisition of the land without adequate compensation is a ‘serious violation to the right to food.
Akpan urged the governor to take an urgent action to meet with the owners of the said land to “forestall unnecessary tensions and breach of peace which may occasion in a non-proactive pragmatic and irresponsible approach to situation like this”.
In a related development, the people of the same community that also donated land for the establishment of Police Secondary School, have called on the Federal Government to pay them the compensation promised.
The visibly angry people told our reporter that several years after they were tricked to donate their land, neither compensation have been paid nor government made them have a sense of belonging.
They said that members of the community especially the youths are gradually losing their patience and may be in the nearest future, forced to embark on a mass protest.
They equally called on political leaders in the area who might have gotten their due from government to give them their rights.
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