By Christopher Tom. Uyo
Addressing media professionals in his Palace recently, the Ibeno Monarch, himself an Obolo indigene disclosed their burning desire for a State of their own as a consistence marginalization and political imbalance.
He recalled that the immediate past and the present administrations in the state have failed to appoint their sons and daughters into the State Executive Council inspite of the contributions the state derives from Ibeno Local Government Area aa an oil bearing community.
Owong Archianga noted with dismay the poor treatment meted out to Ibeno people in particular and the Obolos in general in terms of government infrastructural development.
He appealed to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu as a father of the nation to urgently wade into the vexed issue so as to give them a sense of belonging as Nigerian citizens.
According to him, ” Mr President should also create to us a separate Obolo State as serious hatred has erupted so much”.
In another development, the Royal Father who is also the Life Patron of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities in Nigeria (TROMPCOM) frowned at the recent Remapping of Obolo Local Government Areas by the immediate past Governor Udom Emmanuel and called on the present administration of the state to revisit the issue with a view to giving them fair treatment.
He said, “I do also pray that Mr President should abolish/abrogate the Anti Remapping law in Akwa Ibom State which the immediate past government of Udom Emmanuel enacted because of oil and gas and other minerals in Obolo Local Government Areas as it is inimical to peaceful coexistence of ethnic groups in the state”.
On the ongoing # EndbadgovernanceProtest, the traditional father advised Akwa Ibom people to shun acts capable of jeopardising the peaceful nature of the state by refusing every attempt to take part in the protest.
His words, “we know Nigeria is suffering its worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation following reforms President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought after coming into power last year. The reforms have hit Nigerians hard. Food inflation has topped forty (40) percent and hunger is spreading all over the country. This called for patience and understanding. It is hoped that Nigerians shall overcome this economic hardship”
He flanked at the meeting by traditional rulers, women and youths from Ibeno Local Government Area.
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