Ekid community calls for dialogue, backs Coastal Highway development

Tony Okoh, Uyo

Against the backdrop of a recent warning by the Akwa Ibom State Governor to deal decisively with any group obstructing the successful passage of the ongoing coastal highway through the Stubbs Creek Forest, the people of Ekid in Akwa Ibom State have said they are not opposed to development.

In an open letter titled “Appeal for Reason, Justice, and the Future of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve,” the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), through its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Nduese Essien, and Engineer Bassey Itama, Secretary, BOT, expressed concern over what it described as illegal land racketeering within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve. They lamented that their ancestral land was being allocated without consultation, consent, or compensation.

According to them, “Contrary to some narratives, Ekid people have not opposed the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as a federal project. We understand the importance of regional connectivity and economic integration. We also know that the Federal Government, in constructing the highway in other parts of the country, has adhered to land acquisition processes, engaged host communities, and paid compensation where required. The caveat issued by the Ekid People’s Union was not a call to stop development; it was a warning to private investors that illegal land racketeering was ongoing within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve and that ancestral land was being allocated without consultation, consent, or compensation.”

The EPU said remarks made by the governor during the commissioning of a health centre in Esit Urua, allegedly directed at Ekid people and the leadership of the Ekid People’s Union, were deeply hurtful and troubling.

They added, “We have resisted the temptation to respond with anger or recrimination. Instead, we have reflected deeply and chosen to believe that the governor’s outburst may have been caused by the pressures of office, the exigencies of governance, and the heavy burden that leadership places on those who carry it.”

The EPU Board of Trustees said their intervention was not only a solemn duty owed to the Ekid people but also to the peace, stability, and future of Akwa Ibom State.

“We must clear the misconceptions that have been generated, restate the genuine concerns of Ekid people with clarity and restraint, and create room for an amicable, lawful, and dignified resolution of the issues surrounding the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve,” they averred.

They further emphasized: “Ekid people are not opposed to development. This must be stated clearly and repeatedly because it lies at the heart of the current misunderstanding. We desire development in all its forms. We want roads, hospitals, schools, industries, and opportunities for our young people, just like every other community in Akwa Ibom State. What we oppose is a model of development that treats host communities as inconveniences, circumvents the law, and ignores history and culture. Insisting on due process in land acquisition is not hostility; it is a legitimate demand grounded in law and citizenship.”

The EPU stated that the legal status of the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve is clear and well established, dating as far back as 1918 through a Privy Council decision. Beyond legality and history, they noted, the reserve is one of the last remaining forest ecosystems in Akwa Ibom State.

“Its mangroves and forests serve as natural buffers against coastal erosion and flooding, regulate the local climate, and sustain biodiversity that is increasingly rare. They support livelihoods tied to fishing, hunting, and traditional occupations, and they provide ecological services whose value far exceeds short-term gains from land conversion.”

They insisted that Ekid people remain open to dialogue, provided they are not expected to sign away their inalienable rights, adding: “We remain committed to peace. We remain willing partners in the development of Akwa Ibom State. But we will also remain steadfast in defending our land, our environment, and our dignity. That stance is not terrorism. It is responsible citizenship rooted in the rule of law. It is justice bereft of self-help. It is maturity grounded in self-restraint. And it is our obligation to future generations.”

They appealed for a cessation of hostile rhetoric, genuine engagement with Ekid stakeholders, transparent environmental and social impact assessments, and a reconsideration of any project that threatens to destroy the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.

“Alternative routes exist. Innovative solutions are possible. What is required is political will grounded in wisdom,” they intoned.

Earlier, the governor had vowed to confront any group planning to stop the routing of the coastal highway, which starts from Lagos and terminates in Calabar, through the Stubbs Creek Forest in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.