A’Ibom community to Eno: Halt forceful acquisition of community’s school land

Tony Okoh, Uyo

Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has sent a passionate appeal to the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno to halt the attempt by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Lands and Water Resources to forcefully acquire the community’s land where its only educational institution, the Ekpri Nsukara Offot International Schools (ENISCO) is built.

The Save Our Soul (SOS) follows a move last week by persons believed to be officials of the state government, who came into the community with a Bulldozer and accompanied by men in police uniform, to pull down some parts of the school’s perimeter fencing and adjoining buildings.

The incident which occurred during school hours at about 11:45 am caused a major uproar and almost degenerated into a violent clash with members of the community if not for the quick intervention of the Village head, Eteidung Emem Denis Asikpo and the Principal of ENISCO, Elder Domingo Bassey Etim, who doubles as the secretary to the Village council, as they calmed frayed nerves and ensured the officials were not attacked.

Speaking to newsmen in his Palace, the Village head of Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village, Eteidung Emem Denis Asikpo, described the demolition exercise as completely illegal, sad, and barbaric as there was a subsisting Court case instituted by the Community against the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Lands and Water Resources; Attorney General, Akwa Ibom State; and the Akwa Ibom State Government.

Eteidung Asikpo recalled that on July 18, 2024, one Edem Esq. had visited him with a congratulatory letter from the Commissioner for Agriculture and thereafter informed him that where the community school is built has been marked down for use in depositing agricultural equipment. The unsavory information prompted him to demand a formal letter to that effect, but none was given.

He added, “Again, on July 23, 2024, in the early morning, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development came with soldiers in a Hilux pickup and a caterpillar and started to excavate the land wherein the school is situated. When the scenario attracted the villagers to troop out to the scene, the officials and the soldiers, sensing commotion, halted the operation and fled from the scene.

“As if not done, on August 5, 2024, some persons claiming to be officials from the Ministry of Lands and Water Resources came to paste notice on the walls and blocks of the building housing the school and on the fence which read, “REMOVE, GOVT LAND” threatening that they will, after 21 days, bring soldiers from Ibagwa and many caterpillars to demolish all the structures on the land for use and occupation by the State government.”

Worried by the developments and the fact that there has been no official notification to acquire their land, nor have they received compensation, nor has the government formally discussed the matter with them, the community felt that the officials involved were merely promoting their selfish interest and therefore decided to approach the Court through suit no. HU/306/2024 on August 9, 2024 for arbitration.

The royal father lamented that the case has come up twice since it was filed at the State High Court but said that the defendants: the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Lands and Water Resources; Attorney General, Akwa Ibom State; and the Akwa Ibom State Government have not made appearances or file statements of defence.

According to him, it was, therefore, shocking that “government officials” could still show up again in the school on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, to carry out another round of illegal demolition in defiance of a pending court trial.

Speaking on the ownership of the land, the Village head said that the five families of the community: Nung Essang; Nung Udo Akpakpan; Nung Abasi Imo; Nung Okpo, and Nung Ukpong and the entire leadership of the village had unanimously resolved and donated the land measuring 4,321 hectares with survey plan number JEJ/AK/75576 for the commencement of Ekpri Nsukara Offot International Schools (ENISCO), which equally received the formally approval of the State Government through the Ministry of Education.

He explained that ENISCO, as a co-educational institution comprising Nursery/Primary and Secondary School established in 2015, was necessitated by the fact that the community needed it to cater to the educational interests of their children and those of the neighboring communities.

So far, final-year Students of the School have been participating successfully in the School Certificate examinations of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO).

The village head recalled that in 2022, the State Government even rehabilitated some classroom blocks in the school and had them formally commissioned by the State Governor.

“It is therefore baffling that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would rather prefer to terminate the existence of our precious school and use the land to keep agricultural equipment.

“We don’t have another land to relocate the school. We are a thickly populated community, and as a co-host of the permanent site of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), which is situated along Nwaniba Road within Uyo Capital City, we are almost a built-up area.

“We therefore plead with our amiable Governor, Pastor Umo Eno to step into the whole matter and save the community’s school from forceful extinction,” he lamented.