Ecstasy as Offot Ukwa Royal Tour hits Use Atai, Ibiaku Offot

It was celebrations galore on Monday at Use Atai and Ibiaku Offot communities of Offot Ukwa Clan in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State when the Clan Head and Paramount Ruler of Uyo LGA, HRM Edidem Sylvanus Effiong Okon visited in continuation of the royal tour ahead of the upcoming clan’s festival scheduled for October 23-29, 2022.

In both communities, the royal delegation was treated to varieties of traditional dances, choral renditions and displays by masquerades.
Women groups added colour to the events with their heavy presence and cheers. Community elders, the youth and children equally came out in large numbers.

At Use Atai, which was the first to be visited on the day, the Village Head, Eteidung Christopher Effiong Ekeso expressed excitement over the visit and commended the Clan Head/Paramount Ruler for being a worthy ambassador of the clan and for promoting its unity and cultural heritage.

The village head explained that the community has 7 macro families (Ekpuk) with 7 accredited family heads, with an estimated population of about 40,000 people, according to the 2006 National Population Census.

According to him, the community cherishes brotherhood, hard work and peaceful coexistence. He cited farming as their major source of livelihood.

He, however, drew attention to a lingering issue affecting his people as host community to the University of Uyo.

“In June 1991, Use Atai Offot joined other 9 villages in Offot Usung Ifiayong and Eman Ikot Ebo in Uruan L.G.A. to donate a parcel of land to the government for the construction of UNIUYO Permanent Site, our parent did this knowing quite well that University is a citadel of knowledge.

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“The portion of land UNIUYO Permanent Site occupies presently is 95 per cent rightful properties of Use Atai Offot. Let it be also known that, all the 10 donor villages gave out their farmland for the construction of the UNIUYO Permanent Site, but not village land. Our bone of contention is that UNIUYO is bent on acquiring/annexing the portions of land reserved for our settlement and forcefully ejecting us out, thereby rendering us homeless.

“In 2016 UNIUYO officials, along with an army of workers, earthmoving equipment and machinery of armed policemen and soldiers invaded and entered into Use Atai Village and without any warning notice, destroyed and demolished our Village Hall smashed into pieces the monumental structure erected in honour of our Late Village Head, Eteidung Ekerete Asuquo Akpan.

“Your Royal Majesty, Use Atai Offot Community, therefore, draw your urgent attention, as the owner of Offot Ukwa Clan to save our generation from total extinction as there will be nowhere to run to after we are being driven away from our host neighbouring villages.

The UNIUYO authorities should be called to order to refrain from annexing the remaining portions of our village land so that we can be able to live together as
University neighbours, since Use Atai Offot is a peace-loving community and we do not love to take laws into our hands,” part of his speech reads.

Furthermore, Eteidung Ekeso thanked the royal delegation and pledged his community’s continuous support for the forthcoming festival.

The Chairman, Central Planning Committee (CPC) of the festival, Elder Patrick Albert presented all paraphernalia of the Offot Ukwa attires and the festival to the gathering and urged them to ensure they acquire them.

Secretary of the CPC, Mrs Nkereuwem Bassey Archibong appealed to the community to present a beauty queen that will represent them in the Miss Offot Ukwa Beauty Pageant during the festival in October.

In his speech, Paramount Ruler of Uyo LGA, Edidem Sylvanus Effiong Okon, appreciated Use Atai for their show of solidarity with his leadership, the clan and Uyo LGA.

Related: Paramount Ruler of Uyo Undertakes Tour of Villages in Offot Ukwa Clan

Reacting to the alleged land-grabbing claim against the University of Uyo, the Paramount Ruler told the community that reclamation of their land is “a vision that is waiting for manifestation” and appealed to them to continue pursuing the matter peacefully.

HRM Okon gave an assurance that the community has the full support of Uyo Traditional Rulers Council, and appealed to the government to wade in by properly demarcating the boundary between Use Atai Offot and UNIUYO.

At Ibiaku Offot, joyful scenes were also witnessed.

As a mark of respect, all businesses in the community were shut down by the village council till the end of the event.

The village head, on behalf of the village council and the people, Eteidung Paulinus Sunday Etim welcomed the Paramount Ruler and his entourage.

“We thank God for your good health and the wealth of wisdom on you to handle with ease, less bias, the affairs of both indigenes of Offot Ukwa and strangers flocking in on daily basis to your Palace for various needs, requests, challenges and blessing which you have never turned their amusement,” he stated.

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Using the avenue to highlight some issues of concern to the community, he recalled that the establishment of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in collaboration with the Nigeria Police has helped checkmate crime but decried that the lack of jobs and support to the group has greatly incapacitated their vibrancy.

“We suggest that if Community Policing could be adopted in Akwa Ibom State as established in some states, it could absorb some of these credible volunteers to help check crime rates and such ill-vices in our domain and also create job opportunities for our jobless young men and women in the society,” he appealed.

He mentioned that the access road to the village hall was not motorable, the reason why the event was held at the village square, adding that other streets that need urgent attention include Akpan Inyang Street, Sam Utuk Street, Mission Street and others.

“We also wish to appeal to you, your majesty to please give attention to the challenge of the rebuff dump site beside the Ibiaku Offot Market by the Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) which you are aware of the fracas that emanated as a result of that.

There is no market location in Uyo Metropolis without a dumpsite. The market and the dump site outlived NDLEA in that location, now that the NDLEA has put up their perimeter fencing demarcating the dump site, we appeal that the dump site be re-instated or alternative dumpsite nearby be created for the market to avoid health hazards and epidemic due to indiscriminate dump of waste generated from the market and the environs.”

Other concerns raised by the Eteidung were the perceived marginalization of his community in Uyo Ward 7 and appealed to the government to take over Community Secondary School, Ibiaku Offot.

He congratulated the central planning committee on the successful unveiling of the 2022 festival logo.

Chairman of the CPC, Elder Patrick Albert made a presentation of the festival’s paraphernalia, explaining that they all represent the cultural uniqueness of the clan. He harped on the importance of every village hoisting the Offot Ukwa flag.

The Paramount Ruler, in his speech, stressed the need for upholding a united sense of purpose in tackling issues of the clan, stating that every entity has peculiar problems and that through unity and courage, Offot Ukwa Clan would surmount her challenges.

“Offot Ukwa’s glory is higher than our challenges,” he said.

Appreciating the village for solidly backing the royal throne and the festival, the royal father called on sons and daughters of the clan in political positions to identify fully with the festival and activities of the clan.

“In other places, their festivals are well cherished. Their sons and daughters at home and abroad always identify with it, Offot Ukwa Festival should not be different.”

Amongst the village heads in the encourage of the Paramount Ruler were, Eteidung (Rev.) Aniedi Edet Okon – Uyo Offot & Chairman, Offot Ukwa Clan Council of Chiefs; Eteidung David Okon Etuk – Village Head of Afaha Offot and Secretary, Offot Ukwa Clan Council of Chiefs; Eteidung Cletus Okon Benson – Nsukara Offot; Eteidung Patrick Enefiok Ibanga – Anua Offot; Eteidung Nsikak Ime Esang – Ikot Ntuen Offot; Eteidung Cyril Archibong Umanah – Obio Offot and Eteidung Monday Archibong Utuk – Ikot Okubo Offot.

Also in the delegation were executives and members of Offot Ukwa Clan Youths Council, led by their President, Prince John Ekpenyong.