•Issue 7 days ultimatum for accountability
A storm of outrage swept through Esit Eket Local Government Area on Saturday, May 9, 2026, as leaders of thought, traditional rulers, political leaders, women, youths, and community stakeholders convened at the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Esit Eket, His Royal Majesty Edidem Ubong Peter Assam II, in Akpautong village, issuing a blistering ultimatum to representatives of Esit Eket in the Seplat/NNPC JV EMOIMEE Host Community Development Trust (HCDT), demanding immediate accountability over the management of community funds, scholarships, and empowerment programmes for about four years.
The high-powered meeting, attended by hundreds of indigenes and presided over by the traditional institution, reinforced the position earlier adopted by the Esit Eket Traditional Rulers Council on January 7, 2026, which accused the affected representatives, Barr Bassey Dan-Abia (Jnr), Engr Imaobong Inyang, Engr Emmanuel Akpaekong and Unwana Evans, of abandoning their responsibilities, refusing to consult with stakeholders, and repeatedly ignoring summons to render financial accounts before the people.
Setting the tone for the explosive discussion, former Member of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, declared that the meeting was at the instance of Leaders of thought to “interrogate development governance in the management of Esit Eket Seplat/NNPC JV Host Community Trust Fund,” lamenting what he described as the shameful and appalling underdevelopment of a community richly endowed with oil resources.
“In the whole of Esit Eket, there is no ATM stand or bank. Bank presence is one of the signs of modern development,” Eyiboh said.
He further decried the prolonged blackout in the area, revealing that Esit Eket had remained without electricity for over 12 years and that he personally funded electricity supply in the area from October 2022 to April 2023.
He questioned why such a critical responsibility could not be undertaken by the EMOIMEE structure, which was “intently established and fully funded for community development.”
Eyiboh stressed that leaders of thought, opinion leaders, and community stakeholders had aligned themselves with a recent press statement reaffirming the position of the royal fathers, insisting that anyone representing Esit Eket in any public or corporate structure “must be prepared for accountability or vacate the office.”
Former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bassey Essien, also delivered a fiery address, warning against what he described as attempts to hijack collective community benefits for private interests.
“There is no community so blessed in this state like Esit Eket. We cannot fold our hands and watch while some people come in to steal what God has given to everybody,” he declared.
Essien further questioned the transparency of scholarship and empowerment schemes allegedly executed by the EMOIMEE representatives and demanded a comprehensive publication of all beneficiaries of the scholarship across the wards of Esit Eket.
Former Commissioner for Education in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, threw her weight behind the traditional rulers and community leaders, insisting that accountability had become unavoidable and overdue.
Across the three zones of Esit Eket, speakers unanimously endorsed the demand for transparency. Solomon Nse, Youth President of Ekpene Obo, said the action of the royal fathers was justified because “everyone has a right in the PIA.”
Obonganwan Nkoyo Uyongnkpo, Chief Udo Thompson Onwong, lady Helen Okon Tom, Elder Anietie Essien, and Obonganwan Evelyn Friday Akpe all voiced support for immediate action against the embattled representatives.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers and traditional fathers, His Highness Sunday Unyongmkpo, Village Head of Edo, declared that the time for silence had passed and emphasized the “absolute need for accountability.”
A retired director in the Federal Ministry of Housing and Environment, Engr Uri Idiyang also endorsed the resolutions reached at the gathering, saying there was no mistake in calling on the people’s representatives to come and prove their integrity through a thorough process of accountability.
In a unanimous voice vote, the meeting resolved to demand a full disclosure of all beneficiaries of scholarships, empowerment schemes, and related programmes allegedly carried out under the EMOIMEE HCDT in Esit Eket.
The gathering handed the representatives a seven-day ultimatum to publicly render financial accounts and directed the traditional institution to summon them within that timeframe.
The meeting further resolved that failure to comply would trigger traditional sanctions, including the withdrawal of all rights and recognition accorded to them as representatives of Esit Eket in EMOIMEE.
The stakeholders also mandated leaders of thought to compile all available financial records for submission to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for possible criminal investigation and prosecution.
The meeting additionally called for the immediate freezing of the Esit Eket EMOIMEE account to halt what participants described as the continued diversion of community resources for private use.
Saturday’s resolutions came months after the January 7 meeting of the Traditional Rulers Council, which had already resolved to appoint a private auditor to investigate the EMOIMEE account, requested Seplat Energy to suspend further payments into the Esit Eket account pending the outcome of the audit, among others.
In his closing remarks, the Paramount Ruler, His Royal Majesty Edidem Ubong Peter Assam II, declared that all decisions reached at the meeting were binding and would be implemented without delay, signaling what observers described as the beginning of a major accountability showdown in Esit Eket.
