Successive administrations in Akwa Ibom State have been accused of neglecting Ibeno Local Government Area, one of the crude oil producers in the state.
The Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Area in the State, High Chief Williams Mkpah, stated this at Upenekang, the council headquarters, when the leadership of the Urhobo Worldwide Congress conferred ‘Local Government Chairman of the Year 2021’ on him.
Specifically, Mkpah accused the state government of collecting about N1 billion from ExxonMobil for the development of Ibeno Beach but could not plough the money into developing the tourist site.
Though Mkpah did mention the actual government that misappropriated the money, the council chairman also bemoaned that eight years after ExxonMobil had paid N8 billion to Akwa Ibom State government, less than 15 kilometres of Ibeno-Eket Road is yet to be completed and is today an abandoned project.
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According to him, the only project embarked upon by the state government in the 25-year-old council is the abandoned Cottage Hospital at Upenekang.
Mkpah lamented that though Ibeno is the wealth basket of Akwa Ibom development projects are only sited and executed in Uyo, the state capital.
He expressed fear about a possible ethnic cleansing of the minority Ibeno people by indigenes of neighbouring local areas, namely Onna, Eket and Esit Eket, who are claiming to be owners of Ibeno land.
Mkpah alluded to plans by neighbouring local government areas to deny Ibeno from benefiting from the Petroleum Industry Act by demanding for the remapping of the area.
“Our neighbouring local government areas are claiming everything in Ibeno must be shared with them. Is it proper for Eket, Onna and Esit Eket to make such a demand?” Mkpah queried.
The council boss disclosed that his decision to contest for the chairmanship of the council was to fight for the freedom and liberation of Ibeno people.
Earlier, President of Urhobo Worldwide Congress, Engr. David Unokan, had described Ibeno as the most peaceful oil-bearing community in the Niger Delta region.
Unokan explained that Mkpah was chosen as the chairman of the year because of his ability to maintain peace and security in the area.
