Against the backdrop of a recent warning by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, to deal decisively with any group which obstructs the successful passage of the ongoing coastal highway through the stubbs creeks forest, the people of Ekid in Àkwa ibom state has said that they are not opposed to development.

In an open letter titled: Appeal For Reason, Justice And The Future Of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve”, the Ekid Peoples Union (EPU) through its Chairman Board of Trustees Chief Nduese Essien and Éngr Bassey Itama, Secretary, BOT noted with concern, the illegal land racketeering going within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve lamenting that their ancestral land was being allocated without consultation, consent, or compensation.

According to them, “Contrary to some narratives, Ekid people have not opposed the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as a federal project. We understand the importance of regional connectivity and economic integration.

We also know that the Federal Government, in constructing the Highway in other parts of the country, has adhered to land acquisition processes, engaged host communities, and paid compensation where required. “The caveat issued by Ekid People’s Union was not a call to stop development.