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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Christmas: Akwa Ibom Police to deploy 2,000 personnel

    The Akwa Ibom Police Command says it has deployed no fewer than 2,000 personnel to strategic locations across the state to ensure a hitch-free Christmas celebration.

    The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Odiko MacDon, stated this in a statement in Uyo on Thursday.

    He said that the measure was taken to provide security in areas and urged the people to be security conscious at all times and report any suspicious person or movement to the Police.

    MacDon said that the command would remain resolute and uncompromising in delivering qualitative policing for the benefit of all visitors, investors and indigenes before, during and after the celebrations.

    He announced the felicitations of the command with the Government and people of Akwa Ibom on the occasion of Christmas.

    He noted that Christmas signified the birth of  “our Saviour, Jesus Christ, which is the greatest gift of God to mankind as it brings hope and peace to the world’’.

    According to the spokesman, Christmas is indeed a season of re-dedication to the service of God and love for one another.

    “As we look forward to a peaceful, secured and prosperous 2019, let us embrace again, our long established culture of brotherly love, unity, peace and respect for constitutional authority,” he said.

    He cautioned that “as we celebrate, let us be reminded that Akwa Ibom is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria today.

    Read Also: Lagos ministry holds Christmas carol

    “Together, we will continue to make Akwa Ibom the safest state.”

    On the 2019 general elections, he said that the authorities of the command had urged politicians to play by the rules.

    He advised youths to eschew all forms of violence and unwholesome acts to ensure that peaceful and credible elections were recorded in the state.

    NAN

     

  • Sports Festival: Two-gold medallist, Musa hails mum, Akwa Ibom

    Akwa Ibom female weightlifter Fatima Musa who competed in the 87kg clean and jack won two gold and one silver medals as the event was decided at the gymnastics hall, package B, Abuja National Stadium, yesterday.

    Musa tried hard to set Festival records but to no avail. She later told NationSport she was satisfied with the two gold medals and a silver she won despite targeting three gold medals.

    She, however, poured encomiums on her mother for personally coaching her to stardom, while also thanking Akwa Ibom for giving her the platform and conducive atmosphere to win the medals at the ongoing National Sports Festival.

    Musa disclosed to NationSport, “I started weightlifting when I was very young (10 years). My Mum was my coach and has been my inspiration so far. She was an Olympic medallist and her experience has guarded me to where I am now.

    “I have also progressed well as a weightlifter for some years now. At Port Festival I won a silver and two bronze medals. At Akwa Ibom Championship, I won three gold medals. I also won gold at the International Championship in Malaysia”, she summed up.

  • Police arrest student for stabbing boyfriend to death

    The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old female final year student of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho, Abiodun Olabisi over the murder of his lover, Adegun Lekan.

    The suspect and the deceased, a fresh graduate of the institution awaiting call-up for the NYSC mobilization, were said to be living together as a ‘couple’ at Phonix Area, Stadium Road, Ogbomosho until the unfortunate incident.

    According to the police, the incident followed a quarrel arising from petty jealousy resulted in the victim being stabbed in the chest by the suspect.

    The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude made the disclosure at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan during the parade of suspects arrested by men of the command for various offences in different parts of the state.

    According to the CP, the effort to save Adegun later proved abortive as he dies before he could be attended to at the Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, adding that the kitchen knife used in committing the murderous act has been recovered while the suspects have been arraigned in court.

    Odude said, “A 23-year-old final year female undergraduate, Abiodun Olabisi of the Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho has been arrested by police detectives attached to Owode-Ogbomosho Division over the murder of a fresh graduate of the same school.

    Read Also: Police arrest suspected armed, traffic robbers

    “Investigation revealed that both the suspect and the deceased, Adegun Lekan, who had just completed his studies and was awaiting NYSC mobilization were cohabiting in the usual students’ tradition of trial marriage at Phonix Area, Stadium Road, Ogbomosho.

    “The victim, a graduate of Transport Management, who was stabbed in the chest was later rushed to the Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho but died before he could be attended to. The kitchen knife used in committing the murderous act has been recovered.”

    Some of the other suspects paraded by the CP include, a five-man robbery gang who specializes in attacking motorcycles warehouses, a bricklayer who robes student of Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH) students hostels, an undergraduate social media fraudster who was nabbed for rape and a two-man armed robbery gang who disguises as passengers to rob drivers.

    Others are five-man notorious burglars who operate in Oke-Owdode area of Ogbomosho, a driver who abscond with his master’s car in Ibadan and arrested in Akwa-Ibom, an internet fraudster placing fake online adverts to defraud people, a fraudster who specializes in obtaining money by false pretence, among others.

    Speaking on the effort of the Command to ensure a safe yuletide season and a crisis-free election period, Odude said “Ahead of the yuletide, and the forthcoming general elections scheduled for 2019, the Oyo State Police Command has begun an unprecedented onslaught on criminal elements in the state, depleting their ranks through intelligence-based raid of identified criminal hideouts and intensive vehicle patrol of entry and exit point in the state.

    “The clampdown on criminal elements will be sustained beyond the yuletide and the general election periods. This is to ensure the sustainability of the relative peace currently being enjoyed as well as to create an atmosphere conducive for the electorate, candidates, INEC staff and other participants involved in the electoral process. The recent clampdown has witnessed yet another success recorded in the last few weeks.”

  • Akwa Ibom governor is a merchant, says Enang

    Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, has said Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel came to make money from the state treasury.

    Enang, during an interactive session with reporters, said the government was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N1.7 billion transfer from state account.

    He noted that the transfer was a private issue of Udom.

    He said: “The issue was election petition cases, which proceeded Udom becoming the governor, it is a matter which he ought to have paid for personally. The fact that you are elected governor does not mean that every of your private transactions must be paid from the government’s coffers.

    “It was his election that was challenged, so it cannot be paid for from government’s account, it can only be paid for by Udom as a private citizen.”

    The senator accused Udom of bringing in his “personal aides” from the banking sector to help him spearhead his motives.

  • ‘How peace can return to Akwa Ibom Assembly’

    Akwa Ibom State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Eseme Eyiboh spoke with Correspondent Bassey Anthony in Uyo, the capital, on the House of Asembly crisis and the way out.

    How would you describe the ongoing crisis in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly?

    As a former parliamentarian, am a member of legislature for life and whoever loves democracy should like the legislature because the different between dictatorship and democracy is the presence of the legislature. Section 4 Sub 1 of the Nigeria constitution states that the legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall rest in the case of the National Assembly, the senate and the House of Representative and at the level of the sub national, the legislative powers of the states lies in the States Houses of Assemblies. So to that extent without the States House of Assembly, we will be living under Anarchy. The rule of law is very important now when you talk of dividends of democracy people talk of roads, boreholes, buying of cars and tricycles for them but I disagree, dividends of democracy is the attendant rule of law and its consequences like the right to liberty, free speech, free association, those basic guarantees are the dividends of democracy because it’s only in democracy that you have the environment of human rights, civil liberty and individual rights and obligations that is the major dividends of democracy. So any man who stands against democracy stands against the flow of the existence  of humanity. To that extent it has to be condemned.

    Is that all?

    Recently there was an act of breach of democracy in the State House of Assembly and it is a serious cause for concern. This delinquency arose from the poor perception of the constitutional provisions of the separation of powers. In separation of powers, the executive, the legislature and off course the judiciary have well spelt our rules, responsibilities and functions and the same law have made provision that under the rule of law no man should be unjustly treated. Our constitution underpins that the Nigeria federation should be govern by democracy and social justice. Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people not the abetment of the tyranny of few which is what we see in Akwa Ibom today. Here we have tyrants who have diminished the constitutional provisions which they swore to protect and defend. The rule of law as envisioned by principles of democracy is one practised within the ambit of the law and it can’t be same when fair hearing have been breached. Last year one Hon. Asuquo Archibong representing Urueoffiong/Oruko State constituency defected from APC to PDP and he is still there in the State House of Assembly and the provisions of the constitution as canvassed by the speaker of the Assembly on the matter was wrong. That provision has sub sections which he refused to mention. Defection must be at the instance of crisis in the party at the National level but there was none in APC when Hon. Archibong defected to PDP. But today in an event of a merger which is an outcome of a process, PDP went into memorandum of understanding with other political parties which called themselves CUPP. That MOU is a process which will led to a merger so if a member of PDP feels that his party has compromised its principles and those that attracted him to the party then he is obliged to defect to a party of his choice. In this case those gentle men decided to defect in principle. They defected because PDP is in the process of merging with other parties with a name called CUPP which we all know.

    The speaker said he followed the constitution…

    The speaker therefore has no moral standing or constitutional backing to now rely on section 109 of the constitution as the basis for the delinquent act. It must also be noted that the actions took place when lawyers of the plaintiff and defendant are all arguing a motion for a stay of execution in the court, meaning that he was aware of the pendency of the motion for a stay of execution which he was served and shouldn’t have feign ignorance of it. His actions are unbecoming of the position of the speaker or an institution like the legislature in a democracy as reformed as Ours. The decision may have be taken for personal aggrandizement or to please the pay masters. In Akwa Ibom State it is difficult to know the difference between the Executive and the legislature. What happened to the autonomy as recognized by the 1999 constitution as amended from being implemented here? If not so, can we say there is separation of powers here?. The Federal High Court gave a judgment and the expelled lawmaker Hon. Idongesit Ituen has a right to appeal. The basis of that right is what Governor Udom Emmanuel exercised when court of Appeal removed him as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2016 but APC as a responsible party obliged him the opportunity to go to the Apex Court to exhaust his constitutional right which he went. For Senator Bassey Albert, the federal high court removed him from the senate but the man Bassey Etim which was declared winner was not sworn into office because ofconstitutitutional provisions and application of the rule of law. Both Governor Emmanuel and Senator Albert went through the process of Appeal to the Apex court and got their victories. So why are they in a hurry in this particular case. The hurry simply is that by the spirit and conscience of men, APC has the majority of men in the State Assembly. They only want to intimidate and stampede those who want to defect to where democracy is flourishing because the APC content and programme remains the best till date. The action was to forestall further defection to APC by these gentlemen with good conscience. They came with their usual siege mentality. The speaker knows as a lawyer that his actions in the law was ultra vires. It was also good to note that if the action of last Monday was precipited by the ignorance of law, then the one of two days ago was a well rehearsed drama which ordinary one could expected that it only exists in the theater of the absurd. If the Governor is the Head of the Executive and also the chef security officer which he don’t understand. The truth is that the statutory responsibility of security of the state rests with the police, the civil defense and other security agencies who are statutorily empowered to provide such services. All the governor needed to do is to call the state security council meeting so that they will have a brain storming session based on intelligence. The state governor should never act by the prompt of his instincts or allow his motive to over flow to cause him to take laws into his hands which he did recently. I am telling you the truth because outside being a chieftain of APC, what am telling you is completely outside the cubicle of political partizernship.

    We  must commit ourselves to protect our constitution, and our people and allow our democracy to remain the government of the people by the people and for the people and not the general abetment of the tyranny of the few which is why the state is boiling and there are general poor perception about the state now.

    You are aware we have two factions in the Assembly just like we have three truths, the one by the person who alleges, the one by the person who is defending and the truth by itself and the truth by itself in this circumstance is the constitution. The PDP-led House of Assembly went all out to strangulate the constitution because if what is good for the goose was to be good for the gander, I don’t think we will be in this situation today, if the speaker has shown respect to the rule of law, obedience to the court processes and the judiciary as an arm of government, we won’t have been where we are today. Again it is noteworthy to state that out of the five members who defected, the judgment is for one person Hon. Idongesit Ituen so why will the speaker apply the judgment of an individual to others. That is to say that if the father is sentenced to death, the children and their mother will all have to die by hanging? Where can that be done except in the jungle.

    What is the way forward?

    I have said clearly that the governor should respect the separation of powers and Mr. speaker should separate activism from legislative responsibilities. He should be guided by the procedures in the legislative activities. In any case any legislature anywhere in the world, 70 per cent of its activities are guided by traditions and conventions. Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has never sat on a Monday from 1999 till date and why will they sit on that Monday. Again what was in the order paper for that day? Is it not appropriation issues and commomerative sitting for Ex-Governor Obong Victor Attah’s 80thbirthday to honour him. So why declare the five lawmakers vacant on that day, was it by instinct? a serious matter like that should have been in the order paper, we should separate politics from governance.

  • Ekpo: No room for state of emergency in Akwa Ibom

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Paul Ekpo, attributes the crisis that engulfed the House of Assembly to the alleged overbearing attitude of All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders.

    The statement signed by Mr. Ini Okopido demanding that the President should declare a state of emergency in Akwa Ibom state and remove the democratically elected government of Governor Udom Emmanuel is a testimony to the veracity of our earlier announced intelligence relating to the motive of the APC in instigating violence in our state. We had mentioned that information available to us was to the effect that the chieftains of the APC are planning to instigate violent disruptions of the wheels of governance and provoke the civilian populace to react in like manner, so as to stimulate their call for the declaration of a state of emergency immediately or the rescheduling of elections in Akwa Ibom state. The APC and her chieftains have always boasted of their total reliance on federal might, which they see as their only highway to power. Having found Akwa Ibom as a very peaceful state and with no tangible reason for increased deployment of security forces to the state, the APC and their conspirators( both indigenous and exogenous) had mapped out plans to instigate crisis in different areas of the state. This plan is not new to us, as we are aware of every step of their plans and will continue to alert the public.

    On the invasion of the House of Assembly and the complicity of the Nigerian Police, it is important to state that the constitution of the country which is the operational code for all public and private persons, is clear on the steps expected of a presiding officer of any parliament, when a member of the parliament defects without any lawful justification. In our case, the Speaker of the State Assembly, we have been reliably informed had applied restraint in the declaration of the seats of the law makers until they approached the courts and judgement was given against one of the law makers and the rest teamed up with him in pursuit of an unlawful course, of attempting to prevent the House of Assembly from undertaking its legal responsibilities. It is common knowledge that as at the time the speaker acted in declaring the seats of the former members vacant, there was no subsisting injunction or legal impediment restraining him or any other person from acting in that direction. It is therefore not in doubt that the declaration of the vacancy of seats of the former members was, is and remains constitutional, lawful, legal and extant and there is nothing the APC can do about it. To compare the Akwa Ibom example with that of the National Assembly or any other assembly for that matter, is completely untenable and infantile. Juristic persons are accountable to the law and the donors of their mandate. How they choose to execute the demands of their office within the ambit of law is their prerogative. There is no valid excuse in law that since parliament A has undertaken an illegal act, or accommodated the commission of illegality, that parliament B is bound to do same.

    We were not shocked to read the chairman accuse the Governor of not being sound in mind. It is in their character to engage in gutter banter and mud bath, which is very alien to us and our clime. But if public perception is to serve as the guide, the  people who orchestrated and infact shamelessly recognized three former lawmakers who claimed to have sat and impeached a speaker, are those whom the citizenry want their mental health urgently examined. This attention must critically examine not just their intelligence quotient, but their moral quotient. The public has over the time witnessed the presence of unquenchable greed and the absence of basic intelligence and common sense in these characters, who have now congregated themselves into the APC, in a desperate conspiracy to grab power at all cost and by all means. We will be advocating that INEC should make psychiatric examination a precondition for holding executive positions in political parties. This will help to check the incursion of clothed deranged persons into the political turf.

    We call on our supporters to remain calm even in the face of unprovoked aggression by the war-minded members of the opposition. We call on security agencies to conduct their duties professionally, without political leanings.

    We commend the Speaker of the aakwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr. Onofiok Luke for his maturity in handling these provocations; the remaining 20 members of the House of Assembly deserve special commendation for their courage and strength of character.

    The cynosure of good governance in Nigeria, Governor Udom Emmanuel has exhibited great restraint and maturity in the handling of the many issues that arose alongside the well choreographed and instigated crisis that was visited upon the state parliament by the APC. We know that Akwa Ibom people will continue to invest their future in the leadership of Governor Udom Emmanuel, conscious of the huge benefits that have accrued in the past three years and the others which are enroute.

    We call on the federal government to ignore the ill-informed demand for the declaration of a state of emergency by the APC and instead concentrate her efforts in fighting insurgents and the protection of our soldiers and other security forces, who are fighting to protect our sovereignty.

    We join the very popular demand for the redeployment of the APC-sent Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kimo whose duty in Akwa Ibom had finished with the police backed desecration of the sanctity of the House of Assembly. We appeal to the Inspector General of Police to post to our state a thoroughbred professional as Commissioner of a police to assist in the maintenance of law and order.

    We are certain that when the elections are over, everyone will join us in the victory song “Yahweh”.

     

  • Ekere unfolds five-point change agenda for Akwa Ibom

    The Akwa Ibom State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Nsima Ekere has urged his supporters and party faithful to be peaceful throughout the electioneering campaigns.

    Ekere urged party members not to get into violence. He deplored the turmoil in the House of Assembly, blaming it on Governor Udom Emmanuel’s failure to respect separation of powers.

    “This is the first time we have seen a sitting governor leading thugs to the House of Assembly to cause mayhem. Akwa Ibom people say no to this invasion. It is totally unnecessary and uncalled for. It is against everything that democracy represents. The separation of powers must be respected.

    “Akwa Ibom people deserve peace. We appeal to every person, all actors that caused the present problem, to please ensure that they resolve it. You know how you started this problem, resolve this problem in the interest of Akwa Ibom people and in the interest of democracy.”

    The governorship hopeful promised to run a government based on truth and transparency, if elected next year.

    State APC Chairman Ini Okopido spoke on the post-primary unity in the party, noting that it ran contrary to the expectations of their opponents.

    He announced the constitution of the APC campaign organisation with a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Grp. Capt. Ewang Sam Ewang (rtd) as chairman; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) Matters Ita Enang (director-general); Chairman of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) Abom Tony Esu (deputy director-general); Senator Godswill Akpabio (chief adviser) and a former governorship aspirant, John Udoedehe (deputy chief adviser).

    Ewang promised that Ekere would perform as governor, stressing he was ready to be held responsible for that.

    According to him, he accepted the assignment upon the conviction that APC was heading for a clear win in 2019.

    Akpabio said Ekere’s election was certain because those with God-given grace to make governors were with him.

    He hinged his support for Ekere on the latter’s humility, prowess and performance in NDDC.

    “Nsima Ekere, you are the next governor of Akwa Ibom State,” he said.

  • On the invasion of Akwa Ibom parliament

    Anybody that loves Nigeria should be worried about what is happening in Akwa State right now. This is certainly not a time to fold our hands and pretend that all is well. Democracy is at risk. That is why lovers of democracy should arise in unison to condemn the attack on the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

    It all started on Monday when thugs invaded the assembly complex, stopping members from gaining access to the building. Expectedly, the police came and restored normalcy and the lawmakers eventually sat to conduct the business of the day.

    But not long after, APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole issued a statement condemning the action of the then police commissioner, John Abang, who he accused of being political.  He   directly accused the commissioner of refusing to provide security cover that will enable three sacked members of the 26-member legislature to effect a change of leadership.

    Should Nigeria still be going through this kind of mess in the 21st century; and to imagine that this kind of rascality could have a tinge of official approval is to say the least shameful.  Nigeria ought to have moved away from this level of backwardness. How can thugs be evading Houses of Assembly stopping elected members from performing their duties in the 21st century? It is no longer news that theInspector General of Police has redeployed CP John Abang and replaced him with a new CP, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo.

    Of course, the first assignment that Kimo performed was to take over the State House of Assembly, thus escalating the siege mentality in the state. Now, thugs, backed by the police, have taken over the premises, disrupting legislative activities, harassing staff members and hindering them from performing their responsibilities.

    The APC-led federal government has never hidden its desire to take over Akwa Ibom State. Its former chairman, OdigieOyegun, had earlier said years back that the party could not afford to leave the oil rich state in the hands of the opposition PDP.

    The PDP has said the federal government is deliberately instigating violence in the state in its bid to create an impression that Akwa Ibom State has become ungovernable to open the way for a declaration of a state of emergency in order to dismantle all democratic structures and forcefully take over control of the state.

    A former governor of the state, Senator GodswillAkpabio, who recently defected to APC, has been chanting war songs since he left PDP. Yet, all that the APC government could do was to blame the police commissioner for restoring peace and removing him less than one month after being posted to the state.

    Are we saying court orders should no longer be obeyed? Any society that does not have respect for the rule of law has no future. Violence is the weapon of the weak. They use it to cover their inadequacies. If the opposition has started sponsoring thugs to evade House of Assembly now, what they will do in 2019 is better left unimagined.

    The other time, thugs invaded the Ondo State House of Assembly and prevented the members from sitting. Where is Nigeria heading to- all in the name of politics?Imagine a situation where thugs are now supreme, even above security agencies in the country. They have lost respect even for the police. And with the open support that thugs now enjoy from Abuja, even the most conscientious policeman will be afraid to do their job.

    Sincerely, this shouldn’t be the case in any 21st century nation. Are we in banana republic? To now think that these same Nigerians will waste their energy condemning US President, Donald Trump, for referring to the nation as a shit hole country is laughable.

    Just this year, hooded DSS operatives attempted to sack even the National Assembly. That is novel even in the history of democracy in Nigeria. One just wonders why Nigeria would want to be known for the bad reasons in the world.

     

    This government is toying with Nigeria’s progress, democracy and growth. We can’t afford to be a lawless country. Government should not be seen to be backing official recklessness and lawlessness as it is being done in Nigeria today. No, this must not continue.

    If APC is sure of having the support of the people, it should keep calm, and allow Nigerians to choose who to rule them in peace. Using the weapon of intimidation and violence as being done in Akwa Ibom will not work.

    If Senator GodswillAkpabioreally loves his people as he claims to, he should stop resorting to violence to get their votes. Thugs by their orientation don’t engage their senses before they take action, otherwise, they should have asked themselves where politicians that hire them keep their own children. Politicians will keep their own children in safe havens in different parts of the world and engage thugs to destabilize the country and get killed in the process like ordinary rats.

    It is no longer news that Senator Akpabio has vowed that the APC will take over Akwa Ibom State the same way Hitler overran Poland. He has sworn that “war shall see Warsaw and Warsaw shall see war” in Akwa-Ibom State. Whatever could have pushed Akpabio to declare war on his people still beats one’s imagination.

    Akwa Ibom state needs an atmosphere of peace to keep the goal of Governor Udom Emmanuel of industrializing the state a reality. The people can feel the gains in the last three and half years. And they are yearning for more.

    In a normal situation, Akpabio should have been questioned by security agencies for making such statements but with the turn of events in Akwa Ibom, it is becoming clearer that this is the official statement of the APC and the federal government against peaceful Akwa Ibom all in the name of taking over power. Since the APC-led federal government is desperate to get the oil rich state by all means, well, the onus is on the Federal Government to prove peddlers of this information wrong.

    People should have the freedom to choose whoever they want to lead them. That is the beauty of democracy. The federal government should leave the oil-rich states in Nigeria to decide allow which party they want to be in power in their states.

  • ‘How police secured Akwa Ibom Assembly’

    AKWA Ibom State House of Assembly Complex would have been razed following the crisis resulting from the sack of five All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers by the Speaker, Onofiok Luke, last week, it was learnt.

    A statement by the police spokesman, Odiko Macdon, said the Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, addressed reporters at the weekend.

    According to him, the timely deployment of operatives prevented hoodlums from torching the complex.

    Rather than accuse the police of partisanship and conspiracy in the crisis, Kimo said the police should be praised for saving the state from the tragedy that would have befallen it.

    The statement absolved the police of complicity with any party in the crisis, insisting the police was professional in handling the situation.

    He urged the people to be calm and law abiding, assuring them that the police would always protect life and property, as well as maintain law and order.

    The statement reads: “On November 19, the seats of the five lawmakers from APC were declared vacant, leading to tension. Consequent upon this, and to forestall breakdown of law and order, the police command took a proactive step by deploying security personnel around the Assembly complex.

    “This measure helped to prevent the Assembly complex from being burnt or vandalised and ensure that no one died.

    “I call on the people to remain calm and law abiding as the police will not be derailed from performing its constitutional mandate of protecting life and property, and maintaining law and order. This we will continue to do in a most professional and non-partisan way.”

    Macdon urged the people to eschew the blame game and partner the police and other security agencies to sustain peace.

  • Don’t turn Akwa Ibom to war zone, church leaders warn politicians

    Church leaders in Akwa Ibom State have cautioned against acts capable of truncating the nation’s democracy.

    They took a swipe at forces inciting violence in the state, warning they would have God to contend with in their efforts to plunge the state into needless chaos.

    The leaders spoke last week during an interactive meeting with Christians and some government functionaries at the corporate headquarters of the Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly (ACA) in Uyo.

    The Prelate Emeritus of Methodist Church Nigeria Dr Sunday Mbang canvassed for oneness, peace and security in Akwa Ibom.

    He condemned in strong terms all manner of political crises by those he described as faceless actors.

    Mbang, a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said believers must stand strong against those interested in dragging them into the era of backward and visionless governance.

    He told them to lead by example and avoid bad behaviours that would tarnish the image of the church.

    President of Akwa Ibom Christian Assembly (ACA), Archbishop Cletus Bassey enjoined Christians in the state to be involved in the forthcoming general elections.

    He told them to vote quality leaders that will impact their lives positively.

    He said without quality and god- fearing leaders like Governor Udom Emmanuel, citizens would not enjoy peace and security in the state.

    According to him: “The Fathers of Faith and other men of God in the state have spoken concerning the re-election of our dear Governor, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel and we urge every Christian irrespective of the denomination to see the second term of Udom as a people’s project.

    “We want all of you to vote for credible, quality and God fearing leaders in 2019 general elections so that we can have a better society to practice Christianity.

    “Note that if the state is note peaceful, there will be no church.”

    Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Charles Udoh, former military governor and Director-General of the Divine Mandate, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga poured encomiums on the Governor for his outstanding performance despite distractions by those they called enemies of progress.

    They said despite the lean resources, Emmanuel has embraced prudent management to provide infrastructures, industries, modern health care facilities, free and compulsory education, youth empowerment, sports development among others.

    They commended the church leaders for their prayers and warned the state government will no longer tolerate any activity that would bring it to disrepute.