By Patrick Obia
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The agitation for zoning, that Gov. Ben Ayade’s successor should come from the Southern Senatorial District has taken a twist, a group under the aegis of the Coalition of Akamkpa and Biase Stakeholders, CABS, has said the governorship seat should not only be zoned to the Southern Senatorial District, but to Akamkpa/Biase Federal constituency precisely.
CABS in a press conference held in Calabar said the two Local Government Areas have been marginalized despite their huge contributions to the IGR of the State.
Presenting the position of the group in a speech jointly signed by Chief Emmanuel Evong and Ntufam Itogim Anom, threatened that Biase and Akamkpa Local Government Areas will break out from the South should the Efik continue to treat them as slaves.
“That, in Cross River State, serious debate in both electronic and print media is going on, in respect of the 2023 general elections, and which senatorial zone should produce the next Governor. Indeed, Cross River State is a microcosm of the larger Nigeria. Just as Nigeria is a multicultural nation with about 527 languages, Cross River State is a multicultural society with over 50 ethnic groups and languages in her 18 Local Government Areas.
“There is thus, a supervening need for social inclusion of marginalized groups and inter and intra zonal commitment to zoning principles and rotation in the distribution of political offices across the three senatorial zones of the State.
“Over 80% of the natural resources, and internal revenue generated into the Cross River State Government coffers, comes from the Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency. Government agricultural plantations in the Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency comprise Cross River Rubber Estates Limited, Oban Rubber/ Palm Oil Estate, IBIAE Oil Palm Estate, CALARO Oil Palm Estate, Biakpan Rubber Estate, Kwa Falls Oil Palm Estate, and Ayip Eku Oil Palm Estate.
“The Cross River National Park (Oban Division), Government Forest Reserves, and Community Forests in Akamkpa/Biase have huge carbon credits potential, vis-à-vis the UN-REDD Program, whenever it finally takes off.
“Solid minerals from the Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency comprise limestone/cement via UNICEM, granite quarries, basalt, quartzite, and baryte. Cross River State should be fair and just to the Akamkpa/Biase people by allowing them to produce the next Governor in 2023.
“We the people of Akamkpa/Biase do hereby resolve and therefore demand that the Governorship position in 2023, should not only be zoned to the Southern Senatorial District but should be micro-zoned to Akamkpa/Biase, in the interest of fair play, equity, justice, and peace.
“We are tired of being slaves to the rest of the south and the State. We appeal to our Efik brothers to avoid being treated as orphans; if the Efik pushes us too much, we will cut to Central and North because already we are being called ‘Atam.’
“Though we have accepted to be called ‘Atam,’ if they want us to go back to our roots we will go back. This is not a threat, it is an appeal but once an appeal is made peacefully and is not allowed to survive, we will activate all other options to ensure that we get the ticket for the Governorship.
“For those who would want to know, Biase and Akamkpa have never produced a senator; we are left as orphans in a system where we are the food basket of the nation; we are tired and our mumu don do.”