PHOTO NEWS: We Won’t Tolerate Territorial Invasion From Anyone, Anywhere – Onofiok Luke
……………..The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Barr Onofiok Luke has stated that the Sixth Assembly would be consistent in legislating to defend its territories as the State would also not yield nor tolerate any form of invasion by anyone or anywhere. “We will legislate to defend our territory and we will not tolerate any invasion to anyone or anywhere, we will send our people, their properties and our territory”.
Barr. Luke while made the comments today during Plenary rising from a motion brought to the House by the member representing Uruan State Constituency, Mr. Aniekan Bassey bothering on the invasion of some communities in Uruan by persons believed to be militants, where two indigenes of Uruan lost their lives.
While sympathising with affected communities and the families of the deceased, the Speaker noted that the House would take a holistic view to the issues to ensure that perpetrators of such heinous crimes are brought to book.
While presenting the motion to the House, the member representing Uruan State Constituency, Mr. Aniekan Bassey expressed worry over what he termed as “invasion/annexation, wanton destruction of lives and properties including fishing nets, boats and outboard engines in the riverine communities of Uruan by marauding militants from Odukpani, Cross River State”. The lawmaker informed the Speaker and members that occupants of the communities have been maimed, killed, raped, hoses razed while a primary school at Ufak Effiong village and classroom block at Akani Ohio Uruan the ancestral seat of Uruan Inyang Atakpo was completely razed down.
Mr. Bassey said that one Mr. Obot Osong and Mr. Okokon Atakpo were gruesomely murdered on the 27th and 29th of June respectively while the militants have conquered the villages and declared them a Cross River State territory with the installation of self appointed Village Heads.
The lawmaker noted that the sacking and annexation of these fishing villages by the suspected militants could be ascribed to the rich oil deposit in the troubled area and the proposed sitting of oil platform in Obio Ikpa and Ine Akwa Akpa Uruan by an oil company operating in Uruan.
He charged the House through the State Government to as a matter of urgency, partner with Security Agencies beef up security by setting up a joint patrol team that will oversee the waterways of Akwa Akpa Uruan, Ebiet Ete, Ayadeghe and Ikoneto axis in Cross River State through where the attackers usually come from while also calling on the State government to collaborate with the National Boundary Commission to visit the affected communities to quickly arrest the situation to prevent further loss of lives and properties.
After due deliberation, the Speaker sent the motion to the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Security for indepth study.
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