Clement Isong Foundation

PRESS STATEMENT - AKEJA TAKES A STAND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR GAS FLARING IN AKS.

On 5 June 2026, the Akwa Ibom Extractive Justice Alliance (AKEJA), alongside civil society organisations, youth groups, academics, journalists, and community advocates, peacefully marched to the NUPRC State Office in Eket to demand accountability for gas flaring, transparency in gas flare penalties, justice for host communities, and the reversal of Executive Order 9. As part of the demonstration, AKEJA formally presented a petition to the NUPRC Commission Chief Executive through the Eket Office, calling for a full public accounting of gas flare penalties in Akwa Ibom, the release of gas flare elimination plans, and stronger compliance with host community obligations.

The action amplified the voices of communities in Eastern Obolo, Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket, and Onna, which have continued to bear the environmental, health, and economic costs of extractive activities while receiving little benefit from the resources extracted from their land. The message was clear: communities should not continue to suffer pollution, environmental degradation, and energy poverty while others profit. The march reaffirmed the demand for environmental justice, transparency, and sustainable development for the people of Akwa Ibom.