Akwa Ibom community protests neglect, urges action on collapsed bridge

Residents of Unyenge in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have staged a peaceful protest over alleged neglect and marginalisation by oil firms operating in the area, citing poor infrastructure, limited employment opportunities and environmental concerns.

The protest was prompted by many years of unresolved issues and lately, a bridge in the area which collapsed on October 15, 2025, when one of the company’s trucks laden with heavy equipment was passing through it.

They claimed that the collapse of the bridge had halted their economic activities including lumbering, their major preoccupation.

The protesters, including youths, women and community leaders converged at the bank of the river in the early hours of Thursday and threatened to occupy the area until their concerns were addressed.

They sang solidarity songs and displayed placards of various inscriptions such as “No bridge, no work, ’employment of our youths and ‘No road, no work’ among others’, urging the Savannah Energy Nigeria Limited and others, including Tulcan Energy Resources Limited, Shimao and Jeosco, to address the concerns without further delay

Speaking, Chief Godwin Matthew, representing Unyenge group of villages, alleged that Savannah Energy had not kept to its promise of reconstructing the bridge, adding that for 17 years, the community stakeholders had engaged with the company on other issues bordering on lack of access road, water supply, hospital and lately the bridge but to no response.

“For over 17 years since Savannah Energy Resources started operations in our community, there’s no access road to the community.

“Another thing is the bridge; we pleaded with them, we have sent several correspondences but all our efforts have proved abortive.

“Our youths have been working with them and other companies but since then none of our youths have been converted to permanent staff.

“There’s no hospital, no pipe borne water and today we are sitting down here for a peaceful demonstration. We will remain here until this year ends, nobody will leave until our plights are given due attention,” he said.

Matthew lamented that after the bridge collapsed, the company’s drivers diverted to another route through Esit Eket and Ibeno to their operational base, without considering the damage done to the bridge.

The community’s youths president , Mr Joseph Timothy, accused the companies of neglect and marginalisation in about eight areas of concern.

He listed the concerns to include lack of motorable road, employment opportunities, poor condition of service and non- committal to reconstruction of the collapsed bridge, among others, stressing that those concerns must be resolved.

The women leader, Mrs Nkoyo Etim, also raised the concern about the companies failing to provide basic social amenities and adequate employment opportunities for women and the young ones, alleging that gas flaring and oil pollution had adversely affected residents’ health, water sources and agricultural activities.

Efforts to speak with the community manager of Savannah Energy, Arit Bassey proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report as calls put to her rang out, but were never answered.

She could not also respond to text and WhatsApp messages delivered to her phone by journalists.