IKOT AKPAN UDO/AMAZABA COMMUNAL CLASH: HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY STEPS IN By Nsikak Ikrok Following a renewed clash between the people of Ikot Akpan Udo and Amazaba communities in Ikot Abasi and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, the state house of assembly has stepped in to restore peace to the warring communities. This was sequel to a motion under the matter of urgent public importance brought to the floor of the house in plenary by the member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo, Hon. Aboh Uduyok. In his presentation, Hon. Uduyok informed the house that natives of Ikot Akpan Udo had waylaid and attacked their Amazaba counterparts at Ndauko village where the latter were attending the funeral ceremony of their female indigene who was married at Ndauko. The incident which took place on Friday, November 15 resulted in the loss of two lives with four persons who were critically maimed receiving medical attention at Emmanuel Hospital, Eket. Hon. Uduyok prayed the house to urgently step in and resolve the conflict to forestall reprisal attacks that may result in another spate of bloodletting. The lawmaker who traced the genesis of the incessant clashes to land tussle since 1954 recalled a similar tragic incident that happened on august 28, 2008 which brought about loss of many lives and property worth millions of naira. He blamed the government for not releasing the white paper on the report submitted to it by the Ime Ekam led Commission of Enquiry after the 2008 massacre. He further lamented that the latest attack may affect the peace process initiated by the peace and reconciliation committee of the state government as the warring communities were on the brink of signing a memorandum of understanding before the unfortunate incident of November 15, 2013. He therefore called on the house to prevail on the state government to facilitate the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the two communities to enable all displaced persons return to their homes in peace. He also appealed for the sending relief materials from the state Emergency Relief Agency to the victims while calling on the state boundary committee to determine and mark out properly the boundary between the two communities. He called on the state commissioner of police to deploy his men to the trouble spot to restore peace and work for the recovery of all missing persons. He also urged that the house committee on boundary and conflict resolution should investigate the circumstances behind the renewed clash and proffer solution to it. Responding, Elder Udo Kierian Akpan, the deputy speaker attributed the clash to unsatisfactory resolution of the age long conflict and urged the house to investigate the matter while traditional rulers should be mobilized to reach out to the people in the affected communities and broker peace. Hon. Anietie Etuk who called for a lasting solution to the crises also blamed the Nigerian factor for the delay in the issuance of government white paper on the crises since 2008. In the same vein, Rt. Hon. Jerome Isangedighi also berated the commission of enquiry for not issuing the white paper and demanded that the chairmen of the panel should be directed to publish the white paper or the government should set up a fresh panel of enquiry to look into the matter and proffer lasting solution to it. Comrade Friday Iwok who described the perpetrators of such acts as primitive and barbaric urged the government to bring the culprits to book. The speaker, Hon. Sam Ikon therefore directed that relief materials be sent to the victims by the State Emergency Management Agency. He called on the state boundary commission, the police and the house committee on boundary and conflict resolution to swing into action by discharging their various duties as regards the restoration of peace in the affected areas.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 18:13:08 +0000
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