Ex-Minister Nduese Essien Warns Against Annexation of Ibibio Land Amid Obollo State Agitation

Former Minister of Lands and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, has firmly cautioned proponents of the proposed Obollo State, declaring that no portion of Ibibio land will be ceded to the movement. Speaking during the installation of His Eminence Ntenyin (Dr.) Solomon Daniel Etuk as the 4th Grand Patron of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, Essien described the renewed calls for Obollo State as a covert attempt to seize Ibibio territory.

He pointed to ongoing agitation from communities in Oro, Ibeno, and Eastern Obolo local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, alleging that the push for statehood is a strategic effort to gain control of coastal lands, including the Stubbs Creek Forest — a region he noted the Ibibio people had successfully defended legally, even before the Privy Council in London.

“Let me state it clearly: any move to take over Ibibio land must be strongly opposed. This agenda has been unmasked and must be stopped. No inch of Ibibio land will be surrendered,” Essien declared.

He recalled past unsuccessful attempts to alter Ibibio land boundaries, including a violent episode in 1993, halted by the Justice Ephraim Akpata Commission, and another in 2014 during the National Conference, where there was an effort to merge part of Akwa Ibom with Rivers State to create a proposed Oil Rivers State.

On the occasion of the Oku Ibom Ibibio’s installation, Essien urged sociocultural groups to go beyond ceremonial roles by actively defending Ibibio heritage and taking firm positions on national issues, rather than acting as mouthpieces for politicians. He praised Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio for its contributions to education, agriculture, tourism, and culture since its founding in 1987, while encouraging the organization to resist being manipulated for personal political gain. He also described the Oku Ibom as a symbol uniting the community’s proud past, promising present, and hopeful future.