Pastor Umo Eno under fire over 'seizure' of Ewet Offot Timber Market land

*Alarm raised over safety of newly built Model Primary School

By Ofonime Honesty 

For years, Ewet Offot Community in Uyo Local Government Area played host to a popular Timber Market which was situated at Uruan Street, within the Uyo capital city.

Following the relocation of the Ewet Offot Timber Market to Ifa Ikot Okpon, the community had decided to utilize the large parcel of land for the construction of Ewet Offot Model Primary School.

The plan did not receive immediate consent of government as the authorities rather insisted to convert the land for unknown purposes; suspected to be for the personal use of some officials.  The position prompted the community to approach the Akwa Ibom State High Court for redress.

The 'model' school built at a landlocked location behind Ewet Technical Secondary School, Uyo

The state government later agreed to use the massive land to construct a befitting model primary school for the community and a ground breaking was performed in March, 2022 by Pastor Umo Eno, who was then the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources.

Surprisingly, after the land was fenced with a project signpost clearly mounted, the project was surreptitiously diverted to a landlocked location - about 800 meters off Uruan Street, exactly at the back of Ewet Technical Secondary School, Uyo.

Accessing the newly built "model school" is somewhat difficult given lack of access route. Reporters had to navigate through the often volatile Ewet Technical Secondary School premises to access the "model school."

The said school is a three-block structure with no modern facilities to befit its acclaimed hype as a model school.

According to educationists, a model school is usually set-up with up-to-date resources and facilities to elevate proper dispensation and assimilation of knowledge.

The development is causing acrimony in Ewet Offot Community following reports that the hitherto Ewet Offot Timber Market land is cornered by the former Land commissioner and some cronies in government circles.

The reality on ground contradicts a claim made by the immediate past Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, while still serving in the state executive council. He was quoted to have said that the school will have basic modern facilities such as water closet with solar powered energy supply, and others.

Findings however show that non of the "modern facilities" are in place even as the building have been handed over by the contractors for the new school's season.

A member of the Ewet Offot community, Mr. Ambrose Udo Umo frowned at the forfeiture of the original plot by government officials.

"Pastor Umo Eno visited this community and told us that the former timber market land is not a safe location for a school. We asked him questions and he told us that government has plans to allocate the plots of land to officials to build estates. How safe is this school they have built just close to the Ewet Technical Secondary School which is always rocked by violence? Primary school pupils can never be safe in such environment," he added.

Another member of the community, a surveyor, who did not want his name mentioned in the report, alleged that Pastor Umo Eno, who is a governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, has become the sole owner of the plot of land.

"He said the land is not fit for a school, why then convert it to personal use, and not give the community the right of first refusal to establish a public utility there as was the case when a timber market was hosted there?," he queried.

Furthermore, the Surveyor called on the state government to release the current ownership documents of the land to the public.

Two other residents also accused Pastor Umo Eno of illegally allocating their land to political cronies and “senior government officials."

"We cannot afford to cede any inch of our land to any so-called government official or officials. We reject their antics in its entirety," one community member added.

It was learnt that the leadership of the community has reported the development to Offot Ukwa Clan Council of Chiefs. According to informed sources, the community has sent a petition on the matter to the Governor and may go on protest if their land is hijacked and shared to some interests.

However, efforts to speak with the village head-elect of the community, Eteidung Ben Bassey John or the Paramount Ruler of Uyo, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Sylvanus Effiong Okon were unsuccessful at the time of filling this report.

A our correspondent who visited the original site for the Ewet Offot Model Primary School at Uruan Street, said the land has since been fenced and cordoned off from the community and public with the project signboard still being mounted.