Bassey Anthony, Uyo

THE Akwa Ibom State government has said it would reward some youths of Afaha Ube community in Uyo who in the recovery of property looted in Uyo during the EndSARS.

Rather than participate in the criminal activities of the looters, the youths mobilised themselves and conducted a house-to-house search of suspected looters and recovered stolen items.

Items retrieved by the patriotic youths and returned to the Itam Police Station included flat screen television sets, refrigerator, deep freezers and other electronic devices.

The executive chairman of the State Ethical and Attitudinal Re-orientation Commission, Dr. Dorathy Thompson lauded the youths for their sincerity and patriotism, saying their action will not go unrewarded.

She said the youths levied themselves and raised money with which they transported the items to the police station despite the opposition against them from the other sections of the youths.

“In such challenging times, the youths of Afaha Ube, Itam, in Itu local government area, lived the Akwa Ibom spirit.”

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They voluntarily mobilised to search house to house to discover, recover and return to the Itam Police Station flat-screen television sets, deep freezers, refrigerators, and many other electronic gadgets the hoodlums had stolen from an LG electronics shop near the area.They even contributed money to transport those items to the police station.

“By this ethical conduct, the Afaha Ube Ilam youths have demonstrated that they are true Akwa Ibom youths, who are great people with great minds; and that they have really risen to the faith of greatness and have validated their true identity as model youths in Akwa Ibom State who are worthy of emulation by all other young people in the State.”

She commended the Divisional Police Officer in charge of ‘D’ Division Itam Police Station, CSP Francis Erhabor for effectively collaborating with the Afaha Ube Itam youths to pull off the recoveries.

According to her, CSP Erhabor who emerged recently as the Integrity Award icon of ICPC 20 years anniversary, has demonstrated a sense of commitment to high morals and dedication to duty that is really contributing to building a better Nigeria.

By Nsa Gill, Calabar

Prominent voices have continued to speak out in regret over the extent of damages and destruction visited upon numerous government infrastructures and institutions as well as individual investments in Cross River State following the violence that greeted  the #ENDSARS protest.

In separate instances, former governor of the state, Chief Clement Ebri, Paramount Rulers across the eighty local government areas in the state as well as the Chairman of Bakassi Local government council all noted that the state has suffered a collateral damage.

Former governor Ebri in a statement made available to newsmen said “I am devastated by the aftermath of the initial articulate and legitimate #EndSARS protests led by our youths who were demanding an end to Police brutality and the disbanding  of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and for good governance across all tiers of government. It is most unfortunate that in the pursuit of a legitimate demand, we have suffered serious unintended collateral damage.”

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“I therefore call on us all to rethink our actions and inaction, pre- and post- #EndSARS, and we may find that we all share varying degrees of passive and active culpability”

On their part, the Paramount rulers from the 18  local government areas of the state during a solidarity visit to  Governor Ben Ayade, pledged cooperation with the governor to forge ahead and address the challenge of the time.

Led by the chairman, state traditional rulers council and paramount ruler of Bakassi, His Royal Highness, Etinyin Etim Okon Edet, the traditional rulers declared total support for the governor and his administration to the last day.

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

The suspension of two students by the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) Rivers State, has been lifted following the outrage that greeted the action.

Mr. Chibuzor Remmy of the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education was suspended after the school indicted him of inciting students through his social media account to protest against the university’s authority for having only one bank on campus.

Mr. Sunday Idonegit of the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, was also accused of creating panic and confusion through a post he made on social media calling for the cancellation of the final year examination of the institution scheduled for November 2, 2020, and the school’s matriculation of November 7, 2020.

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No sooner had the school announced the suspension than civil society organisations in Rivers kicked against it and demanded immediate reversal of the decision.

The CSOs insisted that that the students’ sanction was devoid of due process and amounted to a violation of their  right to freedom of expression.

The organisation in a statement co-signed by Prince Wiro and Festus Bonwin, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign (CBRPA); Karl Uchegbu, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) and  Gbenga Oladapo, Lawyers Watch for Justice International Initiative (LWJII), among others described the university’s decision as rash.

They said: “We note with dismay the suspension of two students of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State by the management of the institution over facebook comments in reaction to a press release by the Vice Chancellor Prof Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele.

“After a meticulous study of the comments made by the suspended students, Remmy Chibuzor and Sunday Idongesit, on the press release of the VC, we state clearly that the comments of the students is not in any way inciting as alleged by the school authority to justify the undeserved suspension.”

Following the reactions against its decision, the management of the school on Thursday lifted the suspension in a statement signed by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Okiridu.

The school,  however, warned its students to be of best behaviour adding that any student bringing the university to ridicule would be punished in line with the laws.

By Bisi Olaniyi, Southsouth Bureau Chief

The Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Marcus Onobun, has stated that the lawmakers will not hesitate to discharge their statutory function of checkmating the executive, in a non-confrontational manner.

He also stated that it was not correct to link his recent emergence as speaker to the influence of Governor Godwin Obaseki, claiming that the mantle of leadership was bestowed on him by the collective decision of the legislators.

Onobun stated these yesterday in Benin, in an interactive session with reporters.

He assured that the Assembly would ensure the success of Obaseki’s administration, but would not be a rubber stamp of the executive.

The speaker, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed that Obaseki, who would be inaugurated for a second term, along with his deputy, Philip Shaibu, on November 12, allowed Edo Assembly to run without interference.

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He said: “The change of leadership in Edo Assembly became necessary, in order to strengthen the House, thereby enabling the lawmakers to function maximally towards discharging their constitutional responsibilities.

“The lawmakers have not only reunited, but we went further to commute the impeachment of the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Francis Okiye, to resignation.

“The seats of the 14 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers (in the 24-member Assembly) who are yet to be inaugurated, have been declared vacant.

“I am calling on the Independent National Electoral  Commission (INEC) to, as a matter of urgency, conduct by-election to fill the vacancies. I am looking forward to having a complete House of Assembly.”

One of the 14 APC lawmakers, Washington Osifo, a former Edo Commissioner for Education, however, stated that declaring their seats vacant would not stand, insisting that the night inauguration of the ten pro-Obaseki lawmakers was illegal and still being challenged in court.