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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Akwa Ibom Assembly reinstates 11 lecturers sacked in 2013

    The Akwa Ibom House of Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution, authorising the reinstatement of 11 lecturers wrongfully disengaged by the College of Education, Afaha Nsit in 2013.

    The motion was moved by the House Leader, Mr Udo Akpan and seconded by the Chief Whip, Mr Emmanuel Ekpenyong.

    The House had earlier referred the petitions from the affected lecturers to the House Committee on Education.

    The committee recommended that the House should order for immediate reinstatement of the affected lecturers back to their different departments.

    The committee also requested the House to direct relevant authority that handled the biometric in the college to correct the error and reconfigure the names of the affected lecturers as academic staff and not as non-academic staff.

    The committee also directed that the affected lecturers be promoted as and when due, and their entitlements paid accordingly.

    All the recommendations were adopted and a resolution passed accordingly.

    The Speaker, Mr Onofiok Luke, directed the Clerk, Mrs Mandu Umoren, to communicate the House resolution to relevant authority for action.

    The House also at plenary received a message from Gov. Udom Emmanuel, seeking the approval of the House to allow the state government spend N14.5 billion Paris Club loan refunded to the state by the Federal Government.

    Emmanuel in his letter said that the money would be used to settle outstanding pensions and gratuity and other contractual agreement.

    The House referred the letter to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for further legislative action.

    At plenary the Maritime Sector Bill sponsored by Mr Usoro Akpanusoh, passed through second reading.

    The bill was opposed by Mr Mark Esset (PDP- Nsit Atai) on the ground that state house of assembly has no legislative power on maritime issues.

  • Orphans in A/Ibom protest against non-payment of parents’ gratuities

    Hundreds of children and relations of late teachers in primary schools protested in Uyo on Monday against non-payment of their parents’ gratuities by Akwa Ibom State Government.

    The protesters, under the aegis of Association of Next-of-Kin of Late Primary School Teachers, barricaded the gate to the Government House for several hours.

    They demanded to be given attention by Gov. Udom Emmanuel.

    Leader of the association, Mr David Essien, said the affected families had written several letters but to no avail.

    Essien said the dead teachers had served the state government for upward of 35 years before retirement.

    “Some of the dead teachers served and retired as far back as 1999, yet nothing to show for services they rendered for the state before they died”, Essien said.

    Another protester, Mr Nsima Akpan, said his late mother, Magdalene Akpan, served for 35 years at Government Primary School, Mbiabam Ibiono in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.

    Akpan added that his mother died about three months to her retirement.

    “Up till now, the family has not received anything like benefits in form of gratuity or pension as part of her reward for serving the state up to that period.

    “Each time we protest, the government will tell us to come today or come tomorrow.

    “We are tired of this kind of unfulfilled promises because some of those who are supposed to benefit from this facility are sick with no money to take them to hospital.

    “Some who were in schools have dropped out because there is no money to fund their education’’, he said.

    Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in the state, Mr Etim Ukpong, said the state government remained insensitive to the plight of the dead workers in spite of several interventions by unions.

    Ukpong said the next-of-kin of primary school teachers had since been forwarded to the state governor for approval about two weeks to the protest.

    He added that the union was yet to receive response from government.

    Ukpong, who also doubles as the Chairman of the state branch of the Nigerian Union Teachers, called on government to identify priorities.

    He said the state government recently received some funds from the Paris Club.

    According to him, labour unions have advised government to use part of the money to clear the backlog of workers’ pensions and other indebtedness.

    “I cannot stop any aggrieved person or group of persons from protesting. We have done our best.

    “Government does not seem to appreciate our efforts to mediate. The government is even trying to rubbish labour leaders; they are not even communicating with us,’’ Ukpong said.

    An official from the office of the Head of Service, who would not want his name mentioned, said that leaders of the association were still meeting with the Head of Service, Mrs Ekereobong Akpan.

  • In photos: Collapsed church building in Akwa Ibom

    In photos: Collapsed church building in Akwa Ibom

    A church building in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Saturday collapsed during the consecration of its pastor as a Bishop, leaving many worshippers trapped.

  • Many feared dead as church collapses during service in Akwa Ibom

    Many feared dead as church collapses during service in Akwa Ibom

    A church building belonging to Reigners Bible Church has collapsed in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, with many feared dead.

    The Reigners Bible Church, located along Uyo Village Road, was filled to capacity because its pastor was being consecrated as a Bishop, when the tragedy occurred, witnesses said.

    “Pastor Akan Week was being consecrated today so the programme was holding inside the Church when suddenly, the whole building collapsed,” one witness said.

    The witness said the Church was being renovated and upgraded because of the expected high number of guests on Saturday.

    “Many people are buried under the debris as emergency workers continue rescue exercise,” he said.

    Governor Udom Emmanuel was expected to attend the occasion, but, sources said he was not at the church when it collapsed.

    “The governor has gone to the scene and is presently there helping with the rescue,” a witness said.

    Our sources said many victims have been taken to various hospitals and mortuaries in the town.

    A source at one of the hospitals, Premier Hospital, said many of the injured were taken there and were receiving medical attention.

    A police spokesperson who sounded emotional when contacted by phone, said she could not speak on the matter immediately.

    “You need to be here to witness it, there is so much confusion,” she simply said.