Akwa Ibom State government has advised the people of Odoro Ikot Community in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area to cooperate with the state government in establishing the Coconut Oil Refinery project.
The commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Ime Ekpo, who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen on Sunday, said the affected communities would be adequately compensated.
Ekpo was reacting to a recent allegation by the community that the state government acquired the land used for the coconut plantation project illegally without paying compensation.
The commissioner said the particular land lying between Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas had been a source of protracted conflict between the two local government areas.
He said that government took over the land in dispute to plant coconut and establish a refinery, saying the portion alone was not sufficient for what government intended to do.
According to Ekpo, government acquired about 15,000 hectares for the coconut plantation.
He said government would pay adequate compensation for the acquired portion of land to the communities concerned after enumeration, saying, ‘‘The communities agreed that government should take the area and do whatever it wants to use it for.
“The surveyors are already there and until they complete the survey work, we cannot publish revocation notice and we cannot carry out enumeration for payment of compensation.
‘‘Let there be peace so that government can complete its own action and pay the compensation.’’
He said that government was working with the relevant stakeholders in the affected communities “to ensure that peace reigns.’’
The commissioner said that modalities for the payment of compensation on the affected lands were being worked out, except for the disputed lands. He appealed to the people to remain calm and allow the site workers access to complete the survey and enumeration for the payment of compensation.
Odoro Ikot Community, which consists of Ikot Ekpang, Ikot Inyang Okop and Ibio-Ete in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, alleged that the state government acquired their land illegally for the Coconut Plantation project without paying compensation.
The people recently expressed their anger through a peaceful protest at Ikot Ekpang.
They accused the state government of destroying their farmlands, which they described as their source of livelihood.
