Crisis In Nkari Clan Has Rendered Us Endangered Species - Udeme Nana
The age-long bloody crisis between Usaka Ukwu community in Ikwuano local government area of Abia State and the Nkari group of villages in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has heightened in recent times. Account of killings, maiming, abduction, arson and robbery are becoming widespread, and the socioeconomic life of the indigenes has seriously been hampered by the incessant attacks hitting the area. One of the prominent figures from this troubled part of Akwa Ibom State recently interviewed by The Crew of THE RIGHTS JOURNAL over Ikuano-Nkari Crisis is Dr. Udeme Nana, who formerly served as Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on Public Affairs from 2003 to 2007 during Obong Victor Attah’s administration. He also in government between 2007 and 2008 under Chief Godswill Akpabio working as the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs. Dr. Nana, in academic field, has served as Head as well as Chief Lecturer of the Department of Mass Communication in the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua. He is an author of several books. In this interview at his Uyo residence, Dr. Udeme Nana confessed that the protracted violence affecting Nkari clan has rendered him endangered species as his oil palm plantation is now on a danger zone to which he could no longer access. He further stressed that after Obong Attah’s administration, Akwa Ibom State Government had neglected Ini local government area for eight years, EXCERPT:
What is the situation at Nkari clan presently?
I Udeme Nana, I am an endangered species because I am from that neighboring community and it is unfortunate. I don’t know how our forefathers managed to curtail and live in peace with their Igbo neighbors. And I don’t even know how the boundary was delineated or determined so that we have a situation whereby a road would crisscross between our village and Igbo community. And this igbo people have farmlands across my village. So our people farmed with them side by side, and then before you get to the next village, you know you have to cross this Igbo community. In the last crisis that Ini lost a lot of people, I understand that those Igbo guys just came and stood on this boundary: anybody that is trying to cross, they attack. So it is very unfortunate; it is very pathetic. And I have a palm plantation around this boundary, and since that thing started nobody can venture into that palm plantation. That’s why I say, as an individual, I am an endangered species. My village of Mbiabong Ikot Atim is completely endangered. They (Igbo) can decide and move in and attack everybody.
When did this crisis actually started?
Well communal crisis has always been there and you know such crises are usually heightened during planting or harvesting season or whenever any moneybag comes to claim a larger portion of land. So it is always been there. What I heard our grand forefather did was to use traditional injunction to deter them from attacking our own village because so far, nobody from our village is a victim. In fact at this boundary, there is a place called iso mbiam where our village bounds with them. I understand that our grand forefathers instituted that traditional oath to deter them from crossing and attacking our own Mbiabong Atim village people and if they dare cross into our village, they would become blind; they won’t see anybody until they go back. I heard what used to happen in those days is that, if our people found them on this side they beheaded them. So that serves to deter them from attacking our own villagers. But Christianity has come. Everybody claims to be Christian; almost everybody goes to church, even village heads claims to be Christians. So sitting here I cannot tell whether that traditional injunction is still potent or not.
From your estimation, how many people do you think lost their lives over the years?
Honestly, I cannot put a figure to that but I know that (Ini) local government administration has been on this issue and they should be able to provide that data. It’s ongoing unfortunately this year, one of the final year students of Mass Communication in a polytechnic was a victim. I understand he left his base to go to the village, immediately he crossed the road they ambushed him. Nobody knows, but the general feeling is that he’s been killed.
Let’s still find out this. How come an Igbo community comes in-between two Ini local government villages? Were they settlers?
That is why I say I don’t know how our grand forefathers handled that situation. I just don’t know. But I understand from where my maternal grandmother comes from, which is very close to Igbo community, that they plant farm side by side and nobody encroaches. So this means that from time immemorial, these people used to live in peace and intermarried and would leave one village, go to the other one, drink palm wine and return to base. But like I have said, envy and maybe a desire to push people back in a belief that nobody could come to their aid might be one or two of the factors that have embolden the Igbo element.
The powers to arrest boundary-related crisis lies within the preserve of the deputy governor of a state. Could you tell us if the present deputy governor has done something to stem the tide of crises in the area?
Yeah, I’m sure the state government has done something. During the crisis, the deputy governor who is the chairman of the State Boundary Committee with the legislator representing Ini and the chairman of the council went to Abia State and they had their regular meetings. I think since after that interface, we have not had any casualty. But what I think should be done in the process of finding a sustainable and enduring solution to that perennial crisis so that it would not happen again is that a school be established at that boundary location, or any other government facility. Even the army barracks that is being built in Uyo could have been taken to such a place. Look at what happened at Mbiabam Ibiono when there was a crisis between two villages, government just went there and build a Civil Service Training Center and after that we have not heard about any crisis again. The state government is on it, the state government has intervened. What we are looking at is for the state government to find a lasting solution by way of establishing a concrete presence in that locality.
Wouldn’t this be very important for the state legislature to see the crisis as the matter of public importance to move for emergency intervention to in order to safe-guard the lives of people living at those border communities?
If the State House of Assembly declares the state of emergency how would that affect and impact on the aggressors? This is not a dispute between two Akwa Ibom communities; it’s a problem between a community in Abia State encroaching into the communities in Akwa Ibom to kill our people, to abduct our people, and to terrorize our people. The state House of Assembly can only encourage the government, maybe by way of a resolution, to establish a more concrete presence. And like I have said, the legislator representing Ini went to Abia State with a deputy governor and the chairman of the council, and I’m sure with some other officials of government, to interact and to see how they can resolve the problem. So they should speed up the process.
Sir, you have mentioned the need to establish concrete presence in Ini generally, do you think that successive administrations in this state have done enough to develop the area?
Successive administrations have not really done enough but the administration of Obong Victor Attah did something by opening up the road to Itu Mbonusoh. After Obong Attah, for eight years, Ini did not know any government. For eight years, nothing! Not even a tipper of sand, not even head pan of sand was delivered anywhere in Ini to show government presence. Nothing for eight years! Honestly, I want to be fair to the government of Udom Emmanuel. Ini has been recognized for what it is as a local government area. Ini is very rich if it is properly attended to; Ini can provide Akwa Ibom with food. We have rice, cocoa, and we have arable land for cultivation of whatever. I have an oil palm plantation but I can’t access it now. It is very dangerous for me to even venture into that place. So this government has done so much by way of encouraging agriculture. They are encouraging the cultivation of rice. I attended the ceremony when the government opened a rice mill in Ini at Asanting Utit Ikpe. I also know that this government, for the first time in history did something even the federal government was unable to do: this state government took up a project, and opened up the road from Ikpe Ikot Nkon to Arochuckwu. I remember during the Abacha’s time, that contract was awarded, but the contractors abandoned it. Successive administrations failed Ini but this is one government that has, at least, done so much to give the sense of belonging to the people of Ini, and I have applauded it. One of the reasons I support the government of Udom Emmanuel wholeheartedly without any reservation is because when someone recognizes you, when someone recognizes your existence, when someone knows and makes you feel that you matter, then it is just natural for you to reciprocate. So the government of Udom Emmanuel has recognized the existence of Ini local government area. The government of Udom Emmanuel has appreciated the need to develop Ini through that road, through various agricultural programmes and I appreciate it for what he has done.
… to be continued in the next edition.
©The Rights Journal
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