It was learnt that Ewet Offot did not have a public primary school, forcing parents in the area to send their children to other communities, where there are public primary schools.
In a save-our-soul letter to state Governor, Godswill Akpabio, the community appealed to the state government to curtail the incessant deaths of the town pupils by establishing a primary school in the community.
The letter, which was signed by the President, Ewet Youth Development Association, Messrs. Aniefiok Ebong, and Secretary-General, Alexander Edet, the residents described as a shame a situation where the town was retrogressing educationally while others were progressing.
The letter read, "His Excellency, it is no longer news that more than 80 per cent of the land belonging to Ewet Offot was acquired by the state government in the 70s for the purpose of establishing Ewet Housing Estate, without compensation or any provision made for the resettlement of the displaced indigenes, not to talk of providing any reservations in the housing estate for the host community as done everywhere in the whole world.
"Our children, some as young as three years, travel several kilometres to attend primary schools in other communities like Anua, Eniong, Wellington Bassey Way, among others. The place that had been earmarked for a primary school was then taken over for the construction of a makeshift timber market.
"In recent days, we have lost about nine children who were knocked down by vehicles while walking long distances to attend primary schools in other communities."
Ebong stated that following the acquisition of Ewet Offot land, the displaced natives were squatting in the neighbouring communities, even as the village had since been deprived of social amenities like markets, clinics, roads, water, electricity and primary schools.
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