A’Ibom Youths Give Exxon Mobil 14 Days To Relocate (Photo)

Tension enveloped Mobil Housing Estate and the Airstrip in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State yesterday as residents woke up to see five mock coffins at their gates. The coffins were dumped there by a foremost socio-cultural group in Eket under the aegis of Afigh Iwaad Ekid.

The coffins wrapped with red cloths and raffia palms served as a warning protest by the group over the refusal of the company to relocate its corporate headquarters to its operational base in the state.

This almost paralysed activities at the company as vehicles belonging to its workers and visitors were parked outside the company premises while no effort was made to remove the coffins. The spokesman for Afigh Iwaad Ekid, Mr. Joe Etukudo, addressed journalists in Eke on the issue. He said: “It’s time for Mobil to relocate to Akwa Ibom State, in keeping with the directives of the Presidency. “We are going to shut down operations of the company both onshore and offshore if after 14 days from this warning protest the company does not take us seriously.”

Etukudo lambasted Mobil for treating the issue of relocating its headquarters to the state with disdain, saying that Akwa Ibom State had been one of the most peaceful states in the country. He added: “We are going to tell Mobil that we can bark and bite and that being peaceful does not mean that we are stupid. The company has no excuse to give why it should not relocate its headquarters to its operational base.” However, there was no sign of protest at the Mobil operational base in Ibeno Local Government Area when journalists visited the area. The Head, Media and Communication, Mr. Ogechukwu Udeagha, could not be reached via his telephone for reaction as at the time of filing this report.