JUST IN: CSO vows to resist Akwa Ibom State remapping

Oro Youth Movement, a foremost Civil Rights Organization in Akwa Ibom State, has warned the state government to stop further action aimed at delineating any of the boundaries of Oro nation in the name of remapping saying such attempt would be resisted with the “last drop of our blood”

Recall that the bill ‘State Map Establishment Bill’ sent by the state government had already been passed into law by the state legislature and now awaiting the governor’s consent.

But the group, in a statement by its National President, Edet Eyo, which was made available to our correspondent in Uyo, the state capital on Thursday, expressed resentment over the alleged desperation of the state governor to assent to the bill even against public outcry and court injunction.

The statement reads in part “Ordinarily, the Oro Youth Movement would have ignored this issue but not for the recent chat by the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, during a prayer session at the government house in Uyo, to the effect of stating that he required no one’s opinion and no amount of coercion or meetups will stop him from signing the bill into law, this constitutes an abuse of office and public trust.

“It is indeed very surprising for the number one citizen of the state to make such a public statement that Akwa Ibom State has never had a map before now. One, therefore, wonders on which basis the state was delineated and created in 1987 and the subsequent 31 Local Government Areas that followed.

“The timing of the entire process, the quick passage of the said bill and the resolve of the state governor to assent to the bill irrespective of public outcry suggest something extraordinary.

“It is very surprising that in a purely democratic setting, an elected governor can flout the rule of law by ignoring court orders on this vexed issue.

“It would be recalled that a High Court in the state presided over by Hon Justice Edem E. Akpan on 27th January 2022 in Suit No: HU/341/2021 between JOSEPH DANIEL EKOYORK & OTHERS instituted by Obolo People against Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Surveyor – General of Akwa Ibom State in resistance to attempt at purported redrawing and/remapping of Local Government Areas in the State as affecting Eastern Obolo, Mbo, Ibeno and Okobo Local Government Areas.

“The trial judge entered judgement and relief of the claimants was granted with orders prohibiting the defendant from remapping the claimant’s affected Local Government Areas.

“It is indeed very disconcerting that the State House of Assembly has become a stooge in the hand of the executive governor, manipulated to gratify the obnoxious political interest of a single individual who is bent on forcing the Coastal Local Government Areas open and drawing his local government area of origin down to Coastline in order to argue that it is qualified as Littoral Community for purpose of entitlements due for the Host Communities from the Shallow water and Deep Offshore Oil and Gas Operations under the Petroleum Industry Act,2021.

“It is therefore in the light of the foregoing, that we hereby warn in strong terms that any attempt to tamper with, delineate or remap/redraw the boundary of Mbo, or any local government in Oro Nation shall be vehemently resisted with the last drop of our blood”