Women of Nsit Ibom in Obotim Nsit community, Nsit
Ibom area, Akwa-Ibom State have vowed to protest
unclad to summon the wrath of the gods against
government and a gas company whose pipeline was
blown up in the community by Niger Delta Avengers
(NDA) on July 24, for allegedly abandoning them to their
fate after the destructive incident.
They claimed that the explosion caused extensive
damage to houses in the village, besides ruining their
farmlands and other means of livelihood, only for the
company which is working for Nigeria National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which constructed the
pipeline, to simply evacuate its equipment after the
incident and leave.
NDA, penultimate week, declared an unannounced
ceasefire following appeal by monarchs, leaders and
stakeholders of the Niger Delta coastal states on
militants to sheathe their swords.
2000 houses under threat
Head of the host community, where the NNPC gas
pipeline control valve is located, Eteidung Okon Aaron
Ukpong, told Niger Delta Voice, NDV, that the explosion
destroyed nearly 2000 house.
Besides shattering the villagers’ means of livelihood, he
said the people have become susceptible to untold
danger and insecurity, as their homes now stand on
shaky foundations with the roofing sheets weakened by
harmful chemical effects of the gas emissions.
Our anger against the gas firm, govt – Nkanta, women
leader
The Women Leader of the community, Mrs. Dorothy
Nkanta, who corroborated the claims of the village
head, was aghast at the alleged lack of concern of their
plight showed by government and the firm – Seven
Energy Gas Company – before and after the explosion.
Stressing that the explosion destroyed their cassava
farms, oil palm and other economic trees, Nkanta
lamented: “Unfortunately, Seven Energy came and
evacuated their equipment from the site not minding
the losses the community have recorded.
“That means that they do not care about the disaster
they have brought to us after taking our land to lay
their pipeline and locate their control valve. They are
not bothered about the health hazards and general
calamity the emissions from their pipeline have brought
to our land.
“What have they said is our offence for giving our land
out for them to do business? Is this the kind of reward
we should receive from government and the gas
company for the good thing we did for them?”
Stripped protest
Her words: “But I want to warn that they should not
provoke us to go Unclad on the streets for them else, it
will not be well with them.
“We need compensation for the losses we have
recorded as a result of that gas pipeline explosion and
for the degradation of our land since that gas pipeline
control valve was installed at the Asang Community
High School, else, we will go Unclad on the streets to
provoke the gods of our land to action against these
people, who have suddenly turned our enemies.”
The village head urged both the state and federal
governments to send their agencies to assess the
magnitude of distress the pipeline explosion has
brought to the people of the community with a view to
compensating them.
