Joseph Atainyang, Uyo
‘‘Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo local government areas have been rendered desolate owing to the atrocious activities of militants and armed robbers’’.
This is what Mr Felix Ebong, an indigene of Ukanafun local government area has to say of the present condition of the areas, after the 21 months of terror meted on them by armed militants.
Ebong directed attention to the dullness of the council headquarters at Ikot Akpan Nkuk which, he said, was lying docile as workers had long ran away from their offices for fear of molestation, kidnapping and killing.
He added, ‘‘As you can see, this council headquarters does not look like a public place, only that the grass has just been cleared. This is an official hour (12 noon) but it looks like 7 am when people are yet to report for duties. There are no people in their offices and you would definitely not blame them because life is precious’’.
Mr Ebong who spoke with TNN weekend during the seven days of amnesty offered by the Akwa Ibom State government to the terrorists groups, highlighted the havocs wrecked on the indigenes of the area by the unknown militants.
He said ‘‘due to the reign of terror in the local areas, economic activities have drastically reduced’’ as ‘‘human lives have been so gruesomely wasted’’ while many have deserted their homes, having fled to the urban areas.
He noted that for almost two years, the ‘aggrieved youth’ of the area have ‘‘ganged up against their leaders and citizens’’, kidnapping, maiming and killing people at will and that this has resulted to untold hardship for rural dwellers.
Mr Ebong maintained that kidnapped victims have been mostly killed while others were returned alive after heavy ransoms were paid to the 'faceless militants' whose residences remained permanently unknown.
He pointed out that countless houses were burnt, destroyed and rendered uninhabitable while agrarian activities were completely left wasted for fear of abduction and heartless assassination by the militants.
His words, ‘‘We have unfortunately been rendered homeless. Most of us have been kidnapped, maimed and killed. Various homes have been burnt and completely destroyed. As you can see, many people have left this town to stay in urban areas. Now that government is granting amnesty, it must also think of compensating victims of the disaster, especially those whose houses were burnt and destroyed’’.
Meanwhile, Engr Hezekiah Udo who stated that the carnage perpetrated by the militants had left the area with the face of a 'dry land' with no schools, markets or hospitals in operation reiterated that the 21 months of unrest have greatly unsettled the people and cut them off from common life.
Udo who regretted that not even spiritual consolation was available to them at the time, as most pastors had ran away with their families, cited the case of a Russian trained medical doctor, Iniobong Udoema who operated his private hospital, Homeland Hospital, at Aba Road, Ukanafun was shot by the militants.
He told TNN that thousands of victims of the attacks, especially those whose houses, business outfits and means of livelihood have been wiped out by the terrorist group deserve compensation from government.
Our correspondent, however gathered that life was gradually returning to the area as hundreds of militants were seen arriving the Central School, Ikot Akpan Nkuk in Ukanafun local government area where they responded to governments disarmament and reintegration offer.
TNN
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