There is trouble in the Bakassi area of Cross River state following the deaths at sea of seven youths working for the council. Local people are accusing the council chairperson of doing nothing to investigate the circumstances of the deaths, and ignoring the youths’ funerals.
According to the New Telegraph, the youths were members of the local council’s oil and gas committee, and died while on their way by boat to investigate reports that a private company was drilling for oil in the sea off Bakassi without informing the council.
The boat capsized in heavy seas and all seven died. Six of the dead were buried at sea following tradition, while the seventh, known only as Ene, was taken to his home in Calabar South by his friends for a befitting burial. According to the report, members of the community accused the Bakassi council chairperson, Mrs Edisua Usang-Iso, of washing her hands of the matter, despite the fact that the youths were working for the council. They alleged that she did not show any interest in the burial of the youths, and were infuriated that she failed to attend the burial or send a representative.
Mrs Usang-Iso, however, told a New Telegraph correspondent that she has nothing to do with the burial:“I don’t know anything about that incident. All I know is that they are from Bakassi Local Government.”
She concurred that there was some restiveness in her local government area, but affirmed that, “the security situation is the same everywhere, even in Calabar.”
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