Meanwhile, students in Akwa Ibom State have been charged to join the fight against sexual violence in their schools and communities.
This was during a sensitization campaign implemented by Project Alert and sponsored by African Women’s Development Fund in collaboration with Akwa Ibom State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee and other development partners.
The programme which was targeted at educating the students on the concepts, forms and impacts of sexual violence took place earlier today at Cardinal Ekandem Seminary and Adiaha Obong Secondary Commercial School, Uyo.
One of the facilitators at the event and Consultant at Project Alert, Dr ANIEFIOK UKOMMI stressed the need to engage the young people in schools to get them ready to protect those vulnerable to sexual violence, in his presentation defined Sexual Violence as any violent act that is targeted at the sexuality of a person which may cause psychological or physical pain.
Dr UKOMMI also stated some forms of sexual violence, urging the students to watch out for these indicators as they engage in their various communities.
The programme officer, Project Alert on Violence against Women, NSINI UDONTA said that sensitization is necessitated by the outcome of their research in 2021on the impacts of sexual violence academic institutions in Cross River and Akwa Ibom state.
On her part, the secretary of Akwa Ibom State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, Barr EMEM ETTEH expressed delight at the students’ response to the programme.
She also stated the objectives of the programme.
The students who participated in the programme expressed their gratitude to the organizers while promising to spread the message to their fellow students and in their communities.
At the end of the event, clubs were set up to foster the course of the project.
The Federal Government will require an additional N315bn in wage bill in the next six months for the newly introduced wage award of N35,000 for workers across the Country.
This came as Organized Labor agreed to suspend its proposed nationwide strike for 30 days, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government after a marathon meeting that ended around 11pm on Tuesday.
The resolution followed over five hours of deliberations between the Federal Government and Labor at the Chief of Staff Conference Room of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Announcing the outcome of the meeting to State House correspondents, the Minister of Labor and Employment, Simon Lalong, said “The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.”
Lalong said the memorandum shall be filed with the relevant court of competent jurisdiction within one week as consent judgment by the Federal Government.
However, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the unions would revisit the agreement if the FG failed to fulfil their demands.
According to the agreement, the Federal Government grants a wage award of N35,000 only to all Federal Government workers “beginning from the month of September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.”
The agreement further read in part, “A minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of this agreement.
“Federal Government accepts to vote N100 billion for the provision of high capacity CNG buses for mass transit in Nigeria. Provisions are also being made for initial 55,000 CNG conversion kits to kick start an auto gas conversion program, whilst work is ongoing on state-of-the-art CNG stations nationwide. The rollout aims to commence by November with pilots across 10 campuses nationwide.
“The Federal Government should urge state government through the National Economic Council and Governors Forum to implement wage award for their workers. Similar consideration should also be given to local government and private sector workers. A joint visitation will be made to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government had on Sunday said that the provisional wage increase announced by President Bola Tinubu for all low-income workers for six months would cut across all treasury-paid workers.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed this to State House correspondents at the end of a four-hour marathon emergency meeting with the leaders of Organized Labor.
The compromise was reached to avert the proposed indefinite nationwide strike declared by the organized labor.
The meeting came hours after the President in his Independence Day broadcast announced the approval of a N25,000 provisional wage increase for a certain category of federal workers for the next six months.
Masquerade practice in Africa is an integral element of the African cultural heritage. Its meaning transcends human differences and this dates back to the pre-historic African society.
Ekpo, as being called by the Ibibio and Annang people of Akwa Ibom state is believed to represent the ancestral spirits and acts, serving as bridge between the living and the dead.
Regrettably, while some communities use this cultural display to instill discipline and correct ills among members, others use it to cause havoc.
In August, 2022, the police authorities in Akwa Ibom state announced the ban of masquerade activities across the state. The order enjoyed popular media coverage in both national tabloids and electronic media firms.
The ban followed the use of the culture as instrument of threat, murder and other anti-social manifestations in the community, thus violating the original intention of these cultural practices.
This special report examines the ordeal of the family of Mr THOMAS UKOABASI, whose members are seeking intervention following a reign of terror on them from those who disguised as ekpo masquerades.
The family of UKOABASI THOMAS in Edem Ibiok, Ibesikpo represents victims of cruel treatments meted out by some culprits, whose aim is to unleash terror on fellow community members. Mrs. ANIEMA UKOABASI narrates her ordeal. She speaks in vernacular.
In addition, IMABASI THOMAS UKOABASI’S experience of the masquerade molestation is far a cry from the African social ideals. She speaks in vernacular. Do take a listen.
To further corroborate the claims as expressed above, Miss PRINCESS UKOABASI, one of the daughters in the family had this to say.
From the foregoing, the UKOABASI’sfamily is in fear. They seem to have lost all their fundamental human rights to a set of persons who are supposed to be their kinsmen, watching their back and looking out for them in communal love.
Another member of the family, a farmer and one of the victims who escaped death by the whiskers, ETIDO THOMAS is worried of their safety and that of his farm produce as he narrates the attacks by the impersonators.
The situation in Edem Ibiok, Ibesikpo has prompted an outcry, especially with the fact that even the village head, Eteidung UWEM OKON EDET is appearing unsure of the source of the problem and what action could restore order in his community. He also speaks in vernacular.
At the time of filing this report, Mr. THOMAS UKOABASI, the man whose finger was chopped out was indisposed to speak to the press.
The mill of justice they say grinds slowly, but it is instructive to note that delayed justice is justice denied.
Eteidung UWEM OKON EDET’s claimed efforts to salvage the problem are perceived as unsatisfactory to the victims. This may be due to the lack of corresponding outcomes.
Therefore, the people’s cry at this point is getting louder as they seek government’s adequate intervention.
The use of masquerade practice as instrument of dehumanization, humiliation, marginalization, fermenting hatred, envy and jealousy against fellow members of the community is unacceptable in the African sensibility.
Akwa Ibom State has the reputation of being one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. While peace and security remain cardinal in the Governor UMO ENO’S ARISE Agenda, perpetrators of violence must be apprehended and made to face the law, in a bid to deter others from finding the enterprise lucrative.
The Governor of Akwa Ibom state; Pastor Umo Eno has appointed 368 Personal Assistants across every ward of the 31 Local Government Areas of the state.
This was contained in a New release made available to Inspiration 105.9 FM, Uyo by the Secretary to the state Government; Prince Enobong Uwah, which stated that the appointments were with immediate effect from October 1, 2023, adding that the appointees would be sworn in on Monday, October 2nd.
The appointment was in fulfilment of Governor Eno’s promise of ensuring grassroots involvement in governance.
“In fulfilment of his promise of ensuring grassroots involvement in governance, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno has appointed 368 personal aides to serve in his administration, one from each ward in the state,” he said.
At the inception of his administration, Governor Umo Eno had said he would take governance to the grassroot and urged his Commissioners to always visit and liaise closely with people in their local government areas.
