Idabato council crying for attention

The Idabato 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 recently, 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,Nasako Besingi described Idabato as a very rich tourist destination which if developed will fetch the council enough money to sustain itself and also alleviate the endemic poverty in the area.

Nasako suggested 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,Mr Etango.

The high point of the celebration was the reading of the United Nations Secretary 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 Idabato traditional 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.