By Theresa Donatus, Uyo
The apex socio-cultural body of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Mboho Ikot Abasi, has accused Sterling Petrochemical & Fertilizer Limited (SPFL) and its affiliate companies of engaging in what it described as “illegal, obnoxious, and provocative activities” in the area, including land encroachment, environmental degradation, discriminatory labour practices, and unlawful road barricades.
Addressing a press conference on August 15, 2025, in Uyo, Mboho Ikot Abasi President General, Mkpison Chelly Okoko, said the group could no longer remain silent in the face of “persistent violations” by the company.
Okoko said the latest provocation occurred on July 30, 2025, when SPFL began constructing a permanent barricade across Okopedi Road, a public highway linking several communities in Ikot Abasi and providing critical access to the Atlantic coastline.
He described the move as an affront to the community’s rights and warned that the people would “resist it vehemently.”
The group also alleged that on May 17, 2021, SPFL, escorted by heavily armed police, army, and naval personnel, forcefully entered ancestral lands in Ukpum Ete, Ikpa Nnung Assang, Ikpa Ibekwe, and other clans.
Okoko claimed the company used bulldozers and other heavy machinery to destroy economic trees, crops, and residential structures without the consent of landowners, leading to “massive environmental degradation, repeated community unrest, and even loss of lives.”
Mboho Ikot Abasi also rejected what it called the “provocative” implementation of SPFL’s Host Community Development Trust (HCDT), which allegedly excludes significant parts of Ikot Abasi LGA.
“This is a brazen divide-and-rule tactic against a people united as one monolithic Ikot Abasi community,” Okoko said, demanding full inclusion of the entire local government area in the scheme.
According to the group, SPFL engages in unfair recruitment by awarding jobs meant for local skilled workers to outsiders, sometimes misrepresenting them as Ikot Abasi indigenes.
The press statement further alleged that workers in Akwa Ibom receive lower wages compared to colleagues in Lagos and other states for similar roles.
Mboho Ikot Abasi accused the company of refusing to conduct the legally required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before commencing operations, despite receiving a formal request from the group in March 2022.
“This is a blatant disregard for Nigerian and Akwa Ibom State environmental safety laws,” Okoko said, warning that the omission hides the long-term ecological and socio-economic impact of the company’s activities.
The group concluded by placing SPFL and its affiliates on formal notice, stating that “Ikot Abasi people will no longer tolerate or condone these unlawful activities.”
They called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to urgently intervene and “call the company to order to forestall a complete breakdown of law and order.”