Idabato council crying for attention
By DarelNgwa in Kumba
The Idabatou council in the oil rich
Bakassi peninsula may seize to exist in the next few years if something is not
done and fast to protect the Island and its occupants mostly of Nigerian
extraction. The mayor of Idabato council Ntimi Oliver Akan raised the alarmed
in the council headquarters in Idabato Wednesday 8 June 2016, during celebrations
marking the world ocean day organized by the NGO:Struggle for the Economization
of Future Environment SEFE under the theme “Healthy oceans, Healthy planet.”
Speaking
on the occasion, Akan said the over fifty thousand people that make up the population
of Idabatou council areawhichspansabout 450 square kilometres are involved
mostly in fishing and trading.He said this large population are grappling with
the lack of portable drinking water, lack of electricity, nomarketandno toilet
facilities.
The
situation at the island council is made worse by the fact thatcouncil revenue
is so paltry because the populations are not willing to pay any taxes to the
council collectors.
“Any
attempts by council officials to collect taxes meets with stiff resistance from
the population and this despite the lucrative fishing activity of these
Nigerians,” Mayor Akan regretted, noting that with the lack of these basic
necessities coupled with the absence of a permanent structure to house the
council head office, many workers of the council including notably the
municipal treasurer and the secretary general have sought residence in
localities far away from the council area. And this is not making work at the
council any easy, especially the collection of council revenue.
The
Mayor remarked that the already bad situation of the council is worsened by the
wanting activities of oil exploiting and exploration companies that have made
fishing and agriculture difficult.
He
added that because the government has leased out massive portions of the island
as oil concession areas, the habitable part of the once hugely populated island
has greatly reduced.
For
his part, the managing director of SEFE,NasakoBesingidescribedIdabato as a very
rich tourist destinationwhich if developed will fetch the council enough money
to sustain itself and also alleviate the endemic poverty in the area.
Nasakosuggested
for example the creation of an independent body to manage on a daily basis such
aspects as hygiene and sanitation by instituting compulsory clean up campaigns
that can help clean up the beaches; the creation of a fishing port and market
to boost fishing and other economic activities; creation of facilitiesto boost
social integration and also attract visitors and even runaway civil servants to
come back to the island and take up their duty post.
Activities
on the Ocean Day included a beach cleaning exercise that was done by women,
youths, and men of Idabato who came out as one man led by the first deputy
mayor of the council,MrEtango.
The
high point of the celebration was the reading of the United NationsSecretary
General’s message. Ban Ki Moon called for the protection of the oceans, saying
oceans are the source of livelihood for billions of the world’s inhabitants.
The UN Scribe urged people living around oceans to avoid polluting the waters
and eschew activities that affect aquatic life.
The
secretary of Idabatotraditional council, Emmanuel Edetcomplained about the
headiness of some Nigerian fishermen who still fisharound the creeks which have
been reserved as wetlands.
The
event was animated by a guest artist Oben Gasper Ngasi who thrilled the
population with some of his finest songs.
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