Seven fishing communities in the oil rich Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have accused a firm operated by Indians in the area, Sterling Petrochemical and Fertiliser Company, of blocking their waterways to other communities in the state. The ugly development came amid confirmation of a cholera outbreak in one of the affected communities, Emere-oke.

Other trapped communities are: Ikonta, Obianga, Okoroinyong, Egwenwe, Iwofe and Amazaba.

According to the Paramount ruler of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty, Rt. Hon. Elder Harry Etetor, stakeholders of the local government including Sir Professor Gamaliel Harry who is the Chairman, SPFL Host Community Committee Chief Humphrey oyet, Village Head of Obianga, Chief Joshua Ayagwung, Village Head of Emereoke, Chief Emmanuel Okworo, Village Head of Ikonta, Chief Johnson Ijel, Village head of Ayama, Sir Marcus Enene, retired Permanent Secretary, Chief Samuel Era, Chief Davi Ubolum, President of Ijaw Youth Council in Eastern Obolo, leaders of the communities and other leaders of thought who addressed the media.

The blockage had caused them inconveniences as they can no longer have access to schools, hospitals, markets and neighboring Communities.

The Village Head of Emere-oke 11, Joshua Ayagwung, who spoke on behalf of other traditional rulers at the press conference, accused the company of negligence.

He lamented that the obstruction had caused untold hardship to the residents as they were unable to access medical care for the sick in the midst of the ravaging cholera disease, which he said, had claimed more than 20 lives.

“As we speak, members of these communities are trapped and are unable to access medical care for the sick and daily necessities, especially now that suspected cases of cholera have already claimed over 20 lives in one of the host communities.

In 2022, the Akwa Ibom State Government, during former Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration, acquired 1,736 hectares of land belonging to the people for the operations of the company.

However, Ayagwung claimed that since the company began operation in 2022, the communities had been subjected to all kinds of intimidations and high-handedness, including non-compliance with extant and applicable environmental laws and global best practices.

He argued that the 1,736 hectares of land excluded the ancient rivers of Okolo Obianga/Ikonta and Okolo Otuita and other creeks, which serve as federal navigable waterways,

He added that the company had exceeded the agreed land by over 1,200 hectares.

“We demand that SPFL must immediately reopen all blocked waterways and creeks, and restore them to their original state to allow the people to have unhindered access in and out of their ancestral communities and maintain their traditional occupation of fishing,” the monarch stated.

Eastern Obolo Stakeholders have passionately appealed to the Honorable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, and the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service to investigate and prosecute any illegal Indian immigrant found within Eastern Obolo in particular and Akwa Ibom State at large.

Meanwhile, the Regional Manager of Sterling Petrochemical, Col. Amit Gush, could not be reached for reaction as at the time of filing this report as calls and messages sent to his phone did not go through.

Akwa Ibom State Government through the Ministry of Lands and Water Resources, had in a letter addressed to the Base Manager, Sterling Petrochemical Limited, dated 22nd August 2023, with reference number MLWR/TCP/S/398/VOL. II/23 restricted the Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Company Limited from blocking water ways in their construction as such act contravenes the water ways authorities act section 9, 10,13, sub-section 2 paragraph a, b, and c.

The letter read in part: “Arising from the current work on water way leading from the Atlantic Ocean through Obianga, Ikonta, and Iwofe Communities, the Ministry of Lands/ Water Resources wishes to convey her displeasure over your continuation of the closure of the water ways irrespective of the directive of the Honorable Commissioner for your Company to stop work in that regard.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Eastern Obolo Host Committee, Professor Gamaliel Harry advised the management of Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizers Company Limited to stop misinforming a section of the media with falsehood that the MoU they signed with the Eastern Obolo Local Government was based on outright sale of land and water where adequate compensation was paid.

Professor Harry, who dismissed the lies cooked and served on some media , challenged the Indian Oil firm to publish any paragraph in the MoU where they were mandated to take charge of water, block creeks and disengage the affected seven communities from accessing other villages.

He noted that If the creeks were part of the 1,736 hectares of land acquired for the project, the Akwa lbom State Ministry of Lands and Water Resources that paid the compensation to the host communities and surveyed the land, would not have released a letter to SPFL expressing displeasure and warning against the closure of the said creeks. (THISDAY)