By Dennis Udoma, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Branch of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has commended the state Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, on the reinstatement of the Vice-Chairman of Oruk Anam Local Government Council, Mr. Abasiama Etukakpan, by the House of Assembly on Tuesday, 3rd August, 2021.
The commendation is contained in a press release signed by the CLO’s State Chairman and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Comrade (Barr.) Christopher Ekpo, respectively, on Thursday, August 5, 2021, and made available to newsmen in Uyo.
The human rights group also applauded the members of the House of Assembly, particularly the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, for carrying out a thorough investigation into the matter and providing the House of Assembly with a recommendation guided by the relevant provisions of the Local Government (Administration) Law of Akwa Ibom State 2017.
It would be recalled that Mr. Etukakpan was purportedly impeached by 14 Councilors of Oruk Anam Legislative Council on the March 23, 2021, citing false declaration of age among other reasons as his crime.
Following that impeachment and subsequent removal from office, CLO had, in a statement dated Wednesday, March 31, 2021, condemned the total disregard for the Rule of Law by the Oruk Anam Legislative Council in carrying out the illegality against the Vice-Chairman having not complied with Section 44 of the Local Government (Administration) Law of Akwa Ibom State, 2017.
CLO had then urged the Akwa Ibom State Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, restore the Rule of Law by nullifying the purported impeachment and removal of Etukakpan.
The CLO urged the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to conduct regular training and retraining of elected Local Government Council officials in order to save the State from a repeat of such avoidable embarrassment in future.
