Esit Eket PIA: Stakeholders Demand Accountability, Dissolution of Committee

Esit Eket PIA: Stakeholders Demand Accountability, Dissolution of Committee

By Frontline News

The Esit Eket Stakeholders comprises of Traditional Rulers led by the Paramount Ruler of the area, His Majesty, Edidem Ubong Assam, elders, women and youths, have called on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Host Community Development Trust, to render account of their four years in office, maintaining that the Committee is serving the interest of few individuals rather than the collective interest of Esit Eket people.

They also called for the immediate dissolution of the Bassey Dan led committee for nepotism and lack of accountability, demanding for a new committee to be constituted that will serve the collective interest of Esit Eket people which the Trust was meant for.

They made the demand during a media briefing on Tuesday, February 2, 2026, held at Uquo, Esit Eket headquarters attended by Chiefs, elders, women and youth.

Addressing journalists, the stakeholders insisted that the four-year tenure of the current committee has elapsed and that the leadership, headed by Hon. Bassey Dan Abia, must render a detailed account of its stewardship before handing over.

They alleged that instead of operating the Trust in the collective interest of the host communities, the committee had personalised it and run it as a political structure, contrary to the objectives of the PIA.

“The PIA is a community-based initiative meant to uplift the people, not a private or family business,” the stakeholders declared.

They further noted that Esit Eket has many qualified and competent indigenes capable of managing the Trust effectively, stressing that widespread dissatisfaction with the current leadership makes a complete change inevitable.

Speaking on behalf of the Paramount Ruler of Esit Eket, HRH Ubong Assam, the Village Head of Edo Group of Villages, Chief Uyongnkpo, confirmed that Hon. Dan Abia and other members of the committee were initially nominated with the community’s trust. However, he said that trust has since been eroded.

“Since the people of Esit Eket are no longer satisfied with their leadership and their tenure has expired, it is only proper that they step aside for others to take over,” Chief Uyongnkpo stated.

He lamented that the committee had turned what should be a community-driven development programme into a political affair, accusing it of managing the Trust without due regard for the collective will of the people.

The traditional institution also condemned the alleged mobilisation of miscreants and touts by the committee to stage protests and pass votes of confidence, describing such actions as an affront to the expressed position of the Esit Eket people.

“PIA is about the community and its people, not hired protesters claiming to speak for a people who have clearly lost confidence in this leadership,” the stakeholders maintained.

They called on Seplat Energy, relevant regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to intervene promptly to ensure accountability, restore transparency and facilitate the emergence of a new, credible PIA committee that truly represents the interests of Esit Eket communities.