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Thugs Allegedly Attack Akwa Ibom Speaker For Endorsing Emmanuel’s Candidate

Published

3 years ago

Mar 14, 2022.

Thugs suspected of supporting a prominent politician in Akwa Ibom State have kidnapped the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Aniekan Bassey, while he was on a consultation visit to the state’s Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
At a joint media briefing on Sunday, two groups under the auspices of the Mandate Eyes and Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance condemned the attack, calling it an insult to the office of the state speaker.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that thugs suspected of supporting a prominent politician in Akwa Ibom State have kidnapped the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Aniekan Bassey, while he was on a consultation visit to the state’s Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.

According to reports, the thugs stormed the meeting venue and ordered him to remove his faze cap bearing the insignia of Pst Umo Eno, Governor Udom Emmanuel’s anointed successor, before addressing them.

At a joint media briefing on Sunday, two groups under the auspices of the Mandate Eyes and Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance condemned the attack, calling it an insult to the office of the state speaker.

Barrister Stephen Abia, chairman of the Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance, expressed disappointment that in the twenty-first century, some people could make themselves a nuisance by harassing politicians who do not share their views.

“We are indeed saddened that in the 21st century, a bunch of sane beings could constitute themselves into nuisance and go around harassing and assaulting innocent persons who do not align with their political views.

“It is worse that they could go as far as demanding that Hon. Aniekan Bassey, the State’s number 3 citizen, should take off his cap because it carried the imprimatur of his preferred Governorship aspirant, Pastor Umo Eno, not that of their alleged principal, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan.

“Are these agitators telling us that if Aniekan Bassey had put on a pair of trousers or shirt with the inscription of Umo Eno, they would have stripped him naked before allowing him to consult Ibiono Ibom delegates?”

In a similar vein, the Coordinator of the Mandate Eyes, Dr. Uwemedimoh Umanah, condemned the youths’ actions, saying they were disrespectful to the speaker’s office and infringed on his human rights.

“This represented a sacrilege and the height of disrespect to the office of the No 3 Citizen of the state. Let us at this critical juncture salute Mr Speaker for displaying such unparalleled leadership and statesmanship through actions that circumvented violence and hostilities in the state. That Mr Speaker did not allow the appurtenances and weight of his office to influence him typifies altruistic leadership.

“That dastardly act infringed on the fundamental right of association and speech of the Speaker, as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, inter alia: “ Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests.

“This section of the law is reinforced by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, thus: “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Therefore undermining Mr Aniekan Bassey’s fundamental rights is antithetical to democratic culture and the process of democratic consolidation in the state,” he said.

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