• Saviour Akpan
Savior Akpan, the Executive Director of COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peace Building, alleged on Monday that his life was under serious threat due to his activism in Obio Ibiet Esa village, Ndot Clan, Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The human rights activist, in a press release he personally signed, warned that if anything were to happen to him or any member of his Ekpuk Nto Umoren family, Nigerians should hold the Village Head-elect of Nung Oku Ibiet No1, Pastor Raphael Davis Inyang, responsible.
Akpan, who drew the attention of all Akwa Ibom people, Nigerians, the international community, his family, friends, colleagues, and fellow patriots, stated that he is determined to use his expertise in human rights to advocate for the well-being of the people of Obio Ibiet Esa village in Oruk Anam.
According to the activist, Pastor Inyang was pursuing him for leading a coalition to uncover the perpetrators behind the invasion of large farmlands owned by residents of Obio Ibiet Esa, Ikot Edem Udo, and Afaha Obo Ikot Iton communities in Ndot Clan, Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
He said, “During the invasion, cassava that was planted by the owners of the farmlands in very massive quantity was harvested by some boys he (Village Head-elect of Nung Oku Ibiet No1, Pastor Raphael Inyang) hired, driven to his company with his own pick-up vanand was sold afterward.
“I had to call him and explained to him of the danger of his action in this hard times, and openly told him that such autocratic behaviour does not encourage citizens’ trust in local governance, let alone extend such to the state and nation at large and that his action might cause a breach of the peace.
“To check this excessive wielding of power that he arrogated to himself, I intervened by requesting the Clan Head of Ndot Clan to convene a meeting that will help assuage the owners and relatives of the cassava that was uprooted and the bush his boy set ablaze just to destroy the stems.
“I did not do that because I wanted to, but for depriving orphans, widows and widowers their only source of survival which has been the character of successive village heads for over 33 years.
“Apart from depriving the people of their common wealth, his actions were the heights of cruelty to the very people whom he is seeking to rule over when he eventually becomes the village head, if at all he will become”.
“All of these and many more of his actions which do not sit pretty well with me and others who are watching this unfolding of event, and even the manner in which he is going about the whole issue, appear to me that Pastor Raphael Davis Inyang’s desperation to continue with his oppressive tendencies may lead him to only God knows where.
“And for this, I do not think that I should keep quiet in the face of his desperation, oppression and display of needless power grabbing.
“Therefore, as a human rights advocate who follows the law, I find it most appropriate to tell the world what is happening, and particularly, the perceived threats to my life and that of my family and the People of Ekpuk Nto Umoren in general, clearly depicted, scripted and acted through one man’s approach of desperado to the case he even instituted in court”.
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Photo: Saviour Akpan
