By Dr Alobo Eba
Recently, one of the appointees of the governor of Cross River State who is privy to insider’s information raised an issue on her Facebook’s page on the disbursement of hundred million naira (N100m) each to all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state for projects to be executed in each of the 196 council wards that makes up our state and asked how many wards have seen their projects.
That awakening call prompted some of us to ask the APC stakeholders in our wards questions and one of the disturbing revelations gotten in Yakurr LGA is the unfair marginalization and exclusion of three minority Council Wards of Inyima, Idomi and Afrekpe/Ekpenti.
For emphasis and clarity, Yakurr LGA is made up of 13 Council Wards- Ijom, Ikpakapit, Ijiman, Biko Biko (4 wards that make up the Ugep Community got their complete 40m), Afrekpe/Ekpenti, Ajere, Ntan (3 wards that makes up Ekori got 20m with one ward excluded), Mkpani/Agoi got 10m, Abanakpai & Nkpolo/Ukpawen (2 wards of Nko Community got their 20m), Assiga ward got their 10m while Idomi and Inyima wards were EXCLUDED completely and left like the “orphan wards”.
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Further investigation reveals that the Chairman of Council and the APC stakeholders in Yakurr took the decision to exclude these three wards without consideration to the development needs of these ‘minority and neglected wards’ especially the over-marginalized Inyima council ward.
Politically, Inyima ward since the return to Democracy in 1999 has NEVER produced any politically relevant position nor appointment apart from the councillor position which normally rotates amongst the three communities of Inyima, Ekpeti and Assiga Beach that makes up the Inyima council ward.
For emphasis, in the present APC dispensation in Yakurr, Inyima has only the Councilor position. While Ugep presently occupies the Commissioner for Special Duties position, State Security Adviser to the governor on Security and has the APC Central senatorial candidate ticket and other Political appointments, Ekori has the Chairman of council position and other notable appointments, Mkpani/Agoi presently holds the Central Senator position, Commissioner for Aviation slot and other notable appointments, Nko has the Yakurr 2 Constituency Representative and also the party’s flag bearer for the same position, the Vice Chairman seat and other notable state appointments while Inyima is left with absolutely nothing apart from the Councilorship seat. And now the ward is denied of the magnanimity and benevolence of His Excellency the “People’s first Governor” to have projects spread across the respective wards in the state.
As concerned stakeholders in the development stride of the Inyima Ward (Inyima, Ekpeti and Assiga Beach communities), we are humbly calling on the Governor to intervene in this matter and call the Yakurr APC gladiators and stakeholders to ensure that justice, fairness and equity is given a chance in the allocation and sharing of the funds disbursed to the respective council wards in Yakurr Nation.
For the records, the Inyima ward gave His Excellency overwhelming support in the last Election as he won convincingly in the three communities that makes up the council ward. As we approach the 2027 elections, the Inyima people are crying out loud for help as the ward has been left marginalized, rejected, sidelined, and excluded in the political ecosystem and sharing formula of the APC in Yakurr Local Government Area.
Dr. Alobo Eba is the DG of Abi/Yakurr Coalition of Like-Minds across Parties and writes from Inyima community.
