By Abasi Ita, Calabar
The Obong of Calabar Elect, Etubom Tony Ani has assured the displaced people of Ikot Offiong that he will explore his good offices to ensure their prompt resettlement in their ancestral homeland where consensus and harmonious coexistence prevails.
Etubom Ani , who stated this in Calabar during a solidarity visit by a delegation from Ikot Offiong, disclosed that he was conversant with the plight of the Ikot Offiong people, who were sacked from their ancestral home in the year 2000, following a boundary clash with their Oku Iboku neighbours in Akwa Ibom.
According to him, “I am aware of the sufferings of our brothers and sisters from Ikot Offiong, who have been living as IDPs across the neighbouring communities. By the grace of God, we will address the challenge by liaising with relevant government agencies not only to ensure the return of permanent peace, but also facilitate proper rehabilitation to enable our people to return to their ancestral homeland.”
“I will also ensure the provision of critical amenities like health center, schools, and access roads to farmlands, given the agrarian occupation of our people.”
You won’t need to bother the government for everything. I would explore my contacts to uplift the living standards of our people and also attract investment opportunities to create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths. Already, there is a truck assembly plant that will soon take off in Odukpani.”
Speaking earlier, a former House of Representatives member and one-time Nigerian Ambassador to Uganda, Chief Nya Asuquo, said the visit was meant to pay homage to the Obong-elect, given the historical ancestral affinity with Ikoneto, where the Etubom Tony Ani hails from.
He expressed delight over the selection of Etubom Ani as the Obong-elect, noting that the seasoned technocrat possessed the charisma and intellect befitting the revered throne.
The envoy, who is the Clan Head of Ikot Offiong, bemoaned the hardships and humiliation his people have been subjected to courtesy of their displacement and neglect by successive administrations in the state for decades.
He implored Etubom Ani to use his good offices to guarantee a permanent solution to the crisis once he assumed the throne as the Obong of Calabar.
Earlier, the Chairman of Etubom Traditional Rulers Council, Etubom Essien Efiok hinted that the homage was a routine ritual by the 12 Clans of the Efik Kingdom, once a new Obong is selected and served as a prelude to formal coronation which is already underway.
