Author: Enwono-Abasi Elisha

Everything seems to sing and dance to the melodious redemption tune played through the land. The song speaks the language of pains, inflicted by men who came to steal and kill. They did not only steal and kill, but ravaged the innocent bodies of African young females, making their tender, plumpy breast sag. They sag so early! “For fear of these masters, who enjoyed the agony of our ancestors, they seat upstairs shouting ‘Blacks are Animals! Take them away!’ They say this so often till they tend to believe and make us believe ‘we are animals’ and should be bound…

Editor of the Crest Newspaper, Enwono-Abasi Elisha was amongst the 20 participants selected from three West African Countries, Nigeria, Ghana and Sierre-Leone to participate in a-three day regional capacity-building workshop of the Gorée Institute – Centre for Democracy, Development and Culture in Africa, Dakar-Senegal. The event which took place from July 26 to 28 at the Gorée Island, Dakar-Senegal had the theme: “Mechanisms for the prevention and management of conflicts related to mineral resources in West Africa.” According to the Organisers, the theme was apt to equip the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Media to be able to tackle…

 … Community self help  Part 3 The Clan Head of Iko explained how he has been utilising community efforts in the area of development before SEEPCO’s few interventions. “I constructed 1000 desks, 600 for the three sections of the community, Okoroetor, Ataessien and Akprikpe axis. Before the desks arrived, the children in Primary and Secondary Schools were sitting on the floor for lessons. “When the transformer in the area was vandalized, we reinstated it and bought ormoc cable, poles, grass cutting machines to the two schools we have, Iko Community Secondary School and the Government Secondary School, Iko Town. We…

…SEEPCO begins activities despite inconclusive EIA, MoU Part 2  “Their occupation was greatly affected. So, we gave them each ₦100,000 each to buy fish, crayfish and start selling,” – Community stakeholder. INCONCLUSIVE is the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, as at the time of this report which should guide the activities of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited, SEEPCO, in host communities in Eastern Obolo LGA, Akwa Ibom State. Several assertions by stakeholders of Iko community, Atabrikang I, Obianga, Ikonta, Okoroinyong, Iwofe, Egwenwe, Amazaaba, Emero-oke, all in Eastern Obolo LGA, point to this fact. Environmental experts view this…