#EndSARS Protests: Oku Ibom Ibibio Pleads With Youths For Restoration Of Peace, Order In Akwa Ibom

Oku Ibom Ibibio and chairman, Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs, His Eminence, Ntenyin Solomon D. Etuk, has made a passionate appeal to youths to shelve all manner of protests to ensure the restoration of peace and order in Akwa Ibom and beyond.

The premier royal father in Akwa Ibom State noted that any further protest by youths was bound to be inimical, as criminally minded conspirators have usurped the exercise so far to cause mayhem, looting and destruction of property in the society.

The Oku Ibom Ibibio in a press statement titled, “Passionate Appeal for Cessation of Protests for the Total Restoration of Peace and Order in Akwa Ibom State”, lamented that from the experiences so far witnessed in the state and other parts of the country, the #EndSARS protests have been marred by ignoble activities majorly by hoodlums and trouble makers.

Ntenyin Etuk stated, “Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs is most disheartened to note that the peaceful protests mounted by concerned youths across Nigeria to voice their displeasures on the ignoble activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force are being usurped by persons of criminal dispositions.

“In the light of this, we passionately appeal to our youths to call off the #EndSARS protests to ensure total restoration of peace and order in the society.

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“As witnessed in Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, October 22, 2020, it was most unpleasant that these elements acting under the guise of the protests went about causing mayhem by looting, destroying and setting ablaze private and public property including business concerns and vehicles with attendant cases of loss of human lives. These actions are detestable and we totally condemn them.”

“Akwa Ibom State is our beloved entity. We must treasure and guard it jealously. At every time, it should reflect in our minds and consciousness that it took us as a people many years, precisely six decades, to achieve the creation of Akwa Ibom State as envisioned by our forebears.”

He condemned the wanton destruction of property and infrastructure that were procured at great cost to us all can never be justified, adding that “As fathers, we are totally heartbroken for this damage and loss of human lives.”

The Ibibio patriarch sympathized with all the victims of brutality and the families of those who lost their dear ones in the attendant carnage, lamenting that it was “most unfortunate that peaceful and civil protests by our youths degenerated into such awful circumstances.”

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He prayed to God to comfort their families and give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Ntenyin Etuk expressed happiness that both Mr Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom State, have addressed the nation and the state accordingly on the issues raised by the #EndSARS protests.

“We, therefore, appeal for calm as the Federal and State Governments are working out relief measures and lasting programmes for our teeming youths. We appreciate the compassionate disposition of Governor Udom Emmanuel to personally supervise some of the measures about to be fashioned out by his administration for our youths in the state.

“Accordingly, we commend Governor Udom Emmanuel on his planned initiatives to empower youths of Akwa Ibom State and call on our youths to reciprocate the gesture by remaining peaceful and law-abiding.

“We also appeal to law enforcement organizations to be up and doing in the maintenance of law and order. However, they should do so without excessive use of force that may further aggravate public discontent,” he said.