Wetin dey happen for Akwa Ibom state no be small matter o! The Unyenge community don step out enter serious wahala with Ekid people over the ownership of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve. E be like say dem no gree the Ekid people carry the matter waka this time! Na fight for land wey plenty oil dey ground, as dem dey argue wetin dem feel say na their territory.
Unyenge don talk say the claim wey Ekid bring come no follow any historical or legal sense at all. Ekid people don dey shout say dem get right to the reserve based on some old court judgment for 1918 and some document wey come from 1998. But this matter no be simple as Akwa Ibom State government don join the show, no gree Ekid own the land! The Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Uko Udom, don clear am say that case no drop ownership to any side.
According to am, the land don dey as forest reserve since colonial days, and nobody fit own am like private property. He talk say all rights don transfer to government once dem reserve land for public use. E mean say wahala fit dey if anybody try make claim on top dis land wey dey at the center of their argument.
Mr. Bassey Ekpimah wey be community leader for Unyenge don dey ensure say dem no go allow anybody come encroach their land. He stress say Eket wey dey claim the forest reserve no even dey hold enough land there, as him point out say dem no dey share boundary with Eket at all. Ekpimah don talk say, ‘We sabi wetin we dey talk! Dis land na ours, no matter wetin Ekid or Ibeno go talk!’
He also drop some hot gist say the land wey BUA refinery dey build no be for either Ibeno or Eket; e go belong to Unyenge no matter wetin anybody talk. Dis matter don dey heat up as community leaders from Unyenge dey gather their people for constant meetings to be sure say dem ready to defend their territory.
Another community elder, Chief Itama Ekpe, don bring out stories of how Ekid don dey carry dem go court since 1994, and at the end of the day, na loss dem dey collect! Ekpe confirm say this whole wahala dey matter because of oil wey sabi dey flow for that reserve, and dem no fit allow anybody just come chop their share.
As e dey hot, na only time go show how dis matter go take end. For now, both communities dey prepare for anything wey fit happen, as dem no wan carry last for dis land ownership battle. Wetin you think, who you go support? Unyenge or Ekid?
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