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From Isaac Job, Uyo
Tension is mounting in Uyo Local Government, Akwa Ibom State as six communities have locked horns with the state government over the ownership of the Anyam/Esa Union farmland along Ring Road 3, insisting that the land is their ancestral inheritance handed down by their forefathers.
The affected communities are Ifa Ikot Ubo, Ifa Ikot Akpan, Mbak Ata, Ifa Ikot Okpon, Use Offot and Anua Offot.
Speaking with Daily Sun in Uyo, the President of the Land Donor Family Members in Use Offot, Power Anthony, alleged that the disputed land was converted into private ownership by what he described as “land grabbers” in 1993.
According to him, the controversy began when the Akwa Ibom State Government acquired land for the High-Density Residential Layout, popularly known as Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo.
He alleged that some influential individuals within the community exploited their closeness to the government at the time to trespass on portions of the land and reserve them for personal use.
“Some unpatriotic elements in the community, who worked with the state government then, used their closeness and undue advantage to trespass on the land and reserve part of it for their personal use,” he said.
Anthony maintained that the state government cannot legally claim ownership of the disputed land because compensation has not been paid to the rightful owners, as required under the Land Use Act.
He explained that the government’s acquisition at the time only affected portions of Eniong Offot and Ewet Offot along Edet Akpan Avenue (popularly known as Four Lanes), an area formerly called Ndon Udo Ndum and now known as Urua Atai.
According to him, the Anyam/Esa Union farmland remained outside the area officially acquired by the government.
He further disclosed that in 2015, some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Town Planning allegedly backed a woman, whose identity he withheld, to claim part of the disputed land after it was allocated to her by the government.
He, however, said the matter was taken to court, where judgment was delivered in favour of the original landowners.
“The court ruled that the land belonged to individuals and not the government. Again, in 2019, the court reaffirmed that the land had never been acquired by the government,” he stated.
Anthony recalled that he was among the beneficiaries when the state government formally acquired the G-Line portion of the Ewet Housing Estate and paid compensation to affected landowners.
“I was among the beneficiaries when the state government formally acquired the G-Line portion of Ewet Housing Estate, and I received my compensation in February 2022, when the present Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, was the Commissioner for Lands and Fire Service.
“We shared the compensation at Ibom Hall along IBB Avenue, Uyo.”
He appealed to the Akwa Ibom State Government to honour its earlier commitment that there would be no further encroachment on the remaining portions of the land, except the G-Line area, which, according to him, was duly acquired and compensated.
He insisted that the government should refrain from laying claim to any portion of the land where compensation has not been paid to the legitimate owners.
“Therefore, the Akwa Ibom State Government should not claim lands for which compensation has not been paid to their rightful owners,” he said.
