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History and Background - Ibom Peoples Congress
The Travail Of Ibom Peoples Congress
In 1995, an organization called Akwa Ibom National Movement (ANM) was established in Riverside, California in United States of America. Following the decimation of MOSOP in late 1995 by a Nigerian maximum ruler, General Abacha, ANM was expanded to include all the oil producing states in the former COR (Cross River and Akwa Ibom) and Bendel states. Hence, the name CORDEL was adopted.
Later in late 1990s, the name was changed to COPPSON (Coalition of Petroleum Producing States of Nigeria) with membership drawn from all the oil producing states in Nigeria. This coalition would remain till the emergence of civilian administration in Nigeria in May 1999 following the sudden death of General Abacha in June 1998.
The emergence of the civilian government led to the proliferation of ethnic organizations. Members of different ethnic groups within COPPSON decided to form their own groups in order to be able to push their own separate and peculiar agenda. With this atmosphere created, in early 2000 it became necessary to once again revert back to indigenous Akwa Ibom group that came to be known as Ibom Peoples Congress (IPC).
Essentially, IPC can trace its root back to 1995. As can be seen, IPC has come a full circle to assume the character of a sentinel--the lone watchdog that voices an opinion for equity and fair play. Because of the situations surrounding its birth, it could be characterized by default, as a "child of circumstance" or by extension, "of necessity."
In a country gripped by competing interests and marred by ethnic politics, the goal behind this union was to speak with one voice on issues pertaining to federal government policy stance on the onshore-offshore dichotomy as it affected the oil producing states, and to voice an opinion on issues of equity, and raise awareness on environmental degradation associated with oil exploitation by the multinational corporations.
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