A socio-cultural group, Old Friends of Eket, has called for restraint, dialogue and peaceful engagement following the recent disagreement between the Ekid people and the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, over issues surrounding the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, Akoiyak.
In a statement made available to journalists, the group—comprising men and women who lived, schooled and worked in Eket between the 1980s and 1999—said it was compelled to speak out to prevent further escalation of tensions that could undermine peace, unity and development in Ekid land.
Describing Eket as their “classroom, marketplace and refuge,” the group noted that its intervention was not intended to apportion blame, but to extend an olive branch as friends, brothers, in-laws and stakeholders with deep personal ties to the area.
The group cautioned that words and utterances made in the heat of agitation could have lasting consequences, warning that unchecked rhetoric has the capacity to deepen divisions, weaken institutions and outlive the present dispute.
While affirming the democratic right of the Ekid people to express grievances, seek redress and question decisions affecting their land and livelihoods, Old Friends of Eket stressed that the manner of expression remains critical.
“Language, tone and approach can either advance a cause or diminish it,” the statement said, adding that Ekid people, known as Mfia Enwe, are traditionally associated with dignity, wisdom and restraint.
The group emphasised that sustainable development is impossible without peace, noting that investment naturally avoids environments characterised by conflict and hostility. According to the statement, a divided community ultimately undermines its own future.
Old Friends of Eket also underscored Ekid’s strategic importance to the stability and success of governance in Akwa Ibom State, urging that the dignity of the office of the Governor and the integrity of state institutions be preserved at all times.
The group acknowledged Governor Eno’s goodwill towards Ekid land, citing, among other initiatives, plans to rebuild the Qua River Hotel, which it said reinforced the Governor’s assertion that Eket is his second home.
It therefore appealed to Ekid elders and stakeholders to embrace dialogue and peaceful engagement, expressing confidence that Governor Eno, as the “father of the state,” would address genuine concerns in the broader interest of unity, peace and progress.
“History consistently rewards dialogue, because dialogue builds and heals where conflict scars,” the statement added.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to Governor Eno’s ARISE Agenda, the peace and development of Ekid land, the unity of Akwa Ibom State, and constructive engagement for the collective good.
The statement concluded with a call for wisdom, the restoration of peace, and continued progress for Eket.
