A’Ibom poly hails students for resisting communal crisis

The Proprietor and Chairman, Governing Council of Heritage Polytechnic, a private institution in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Ekott, has commended students of the polytechnic, particularly those of Ibeno and Ekid extraction, for not allowing the lingering communal crisis to spill into the institution.

The two oil-rich neighbouring communities have been involved in a protracted conflict that has led to loss of lives and destruction of property estimated at several billions of naira.

A statement obtained from the institution’s press unit on Sunday said Ekott gave the commendation while addressing the combined 17th matriculation and 15th convocation ceremonies of the polytechnic held on Saturday.

He said, “Let me thank you for letting your parents know that Heritage Polytechnic is not a ground for ethnic division. When you walk through our gates, you leave behind tribal labels.

“Here, you are not first and foremost Ekid or Ibeno. You are a scholar. Heritage Polytechnic is a place where you can discover your potential, collaborate, and grow intellectually.

“Knowledge knows no ethnic boundaries. The laws of physics, the principles of mathematics, and the truths of commerce do not distinguish between Ekid and Ibeno.

I therefore charge you, our students, to become ambassadors of a new narrative. When you go to your hostels, your classrooms, your laboratories and your prayer groups, look at the person beside you – not through the lens of tribe, but through the lens of shared purpose”.

“Eat together. Study together. Enjoy together. Defend one another. Ignore reckless publications and directives from some stakeholders but champion unity at all cost”

Ekott appealed to community leaders in Ekid and Ibeno Local Government Areas to find a lasting solution to the crisis, stressing that no meaningful development can thrive in an atmosphere of rancour.

He expressed concern over the current positions held by elders, describing them as outdated and not in line with modern realities.

He added, “These positions belong to a past we must consciously leave behind. Let me be clear: No development has ever emerged from the womb of discord, and not all matters are settled in the courtroom.

“The conflicts between Ekid and Ibeno, whatever their origin, have yielded nothing but sorrow, stagnation, and a poor image of our people to the outside world. It is time to end them all”.

He further appealed to traditional rulers, political leaders, and elders of both communities to convene a genuine peace dialogue for lasting reconciliation.

“ Let us invest in our children’s future rather than in our ancestors’ quarrels. Unity is not the absence of differences; it is the courage to rise above them.

“ I believe that the young people of Ekid and Ibeno are ready for peace. Let us not disappoint them. I therefore appeal to the traditional rulers, political leaders, and elders of both Ekid and Ibeno to convene a genuine peace dialogue for lasting reconciliation,” Ekott concluded.