The Youths of Ukpana community in Onna local government area of Akwa Ibom State have threatened to cause restivesness and disrupt the activities of except the sum of N117bn is paid as compensation by Sterling Oil Production and Exploration Company over alleged trespass on their land without due compensation.
The community stated this on Sunday while speaking through the special assistant to the president of the Akwa Ibom Oil Producing Community Network on Environment and Project Monitoring, Mr. Iniobong Akpan, at the village Town Hall,Ukpana, in Onna local government area of the state.
Akpan stated that the company in the process of constructing an access road to the Appraisal Wells Drilling Site in Ibotio Oil Field- OML 13,had allegedly destroyed their means of livelihood, including farmlands, economic trees, water bodies, cemeteries and ancestral homes which has brought untold hardship, and provoked the anger of their gods, who have continued to visit them with “unwarranted deaths” in the community.
He said “The village has suffered an unwarranted trespass and destruction of their property perpetuated by the Sterling Oil Exploration and Production Company through oil exploratory activities. The massive destruction occurred during the construction of access road to the Appraisal Wells Drilling Site in Ibotio Oil Field-OML 13 and the company’s operational base.
“The said destruction affected both economic crops and trees, streams, namely: Idim Mkpighe,Idim Uto,Etuk Enyeng, Adaha Ukim,Idim Akpan Akwa,Idim Judah etc. Also affected are swamps including Mbat James Udo,Mbat Ikang Eta etc
“The village owned property such as oil Palm trees, raffia palms, pineapples, plantation, cementry– Uwa Iban Cementry,Iso Mbubiam, Akpa Mbiam as well as ancestral shrines- Nku-ku Ikot Inwang, Ikpaisong Ubop Owo etc were drestroyed without appeasement and relocation which now cause unwarranted deaths in the community”.
He alleged that following the massive destruction the community’s land has been polluted while their streams and and water bodies including aquatic lives have been destroyed causing untold hardship to the community.
In his response, the representative of Sterling Oil Production and Exploration Company, Mr. Fabian Ebri, said the project is a federal government project owned by the Nigeria Petroleum Development company and that Sterling Oil is just a technical partner.
He Further stated that both the Akwa Ibom State and Federal governments were aware and involved in the Project, adding that he does not believe both governments would make such a blunder in the community.
