Youths of Effiat community in Mbo Local Government of Akwa Ibom State, have called on oil companies operating within their area to engage directly with the host community, accusing the firms of neglecting corporate social responsibilities and ignoring repeated appeals for dialogue.
The National Youth President of the Effiat Community in Mbo Local Government Area, Okokon Asuquo Okon, popularly known as Commander Egbu Nkakad, said oil companies operating in Effiat Ikpoto had for years failed to address critical development needs, a situation that has fueled frustration and restiveness among the youth.
Speaking with newsmen in Uyo, Okon disclosed that between 2014 and 2022, the community had written multiple letters to the oil firms and the Akwa Ibom State Government seeking engagement on issues such as clean water, access roads, healthcare, electricity, and youth employment.
He lamented that the appeals were repeatedly ignored, leading to a breakdown of peace in 2023 when aggrieved youths disrupted the operations of some oil companies in the area in protest.
“Our goal was to compel the oil companies and the government to come to the negotiation table,” Okon explained.
He noted that normalcy began to return after Tulcan Company agreed to meet some of the community’s demands and initiated efforts to restore operations through constructive dialogue.
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Okon commended the Akwa Ibom State Government under Governor Pastor Umo Eno for intervening in the crisis by deploying the Commissioner for International Security and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Marine Transportation to mediate between the parties.
According to him, the dialogue helped the government better understand the community’s grievances, particularly concerning collaboration on waterway security.
However, he expressed disappointment that the amnesty programme earlier promised by the state government had yet to be implemented.
The Effiat youth leader also urged other oil companies, including Monipulo Development Company, Oriental Energy Resources Limited, Antan Producing Universal Energy, Conoil, Tenoil, and Amni International, to emulate Tulcan’s example by engaging directly with the host community.
Okon reaffirmed the community’s commitment to working with both the Akwa Ibom and Cross River State governments to combat piracy and ensure lasting peace across the region’s waterways.
