Uyo LG Council Chairman sets up Panel of Enquiry to resolve Mechanic Village Crisis
...Committee swings into action, visits Mechanic Village
Sequel to the crisis that rocked Akwa Ibom’s largest vehicle spare parts and repairs market popularly known as ‘Mechanic Village’, in Uyo on Friday, September 30, 2022, the Executive Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Dr. Uwemedimo Udo has constituted a committee to assess the situation and recommend solutions towards solving the issue.
The Administrative Panel of Enquiry which was inaugurated on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 by Udo at the council secretariat has Barr Victor Akpan as Chairman while Barr Edem Nsa serves as secretary.
Other members of the committee are Eteidung Idongesit Alfred Ekong, village head of Atan Offot; Hon. Kufre Mendie; Mr. Patrick Albert; Lady Udeme Emmanuel Ekpe; OC, Department of State Services (DSS), Uyo LGA; Divisional Police Officer (DPO) – C’ Division, Nigeria Police, Uyo; and Chairman, Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Akwa Ibom State Council.
At the inauguration, the committee was tasked to ascertain the immediate and remote cause(s) of the crisis, identify the suspects, sponsors and culprits and their roles in the crisis; recommend appropriate actions to reprimand the culprits to act as deterrent against further occurrence, invite any person(s) who in the opinion of the panel would offer useful information to aid the panel to succeed in the assignment, as well as recommend measures that would bring about lasting peace in the mechanic village and its environs.
The committee was given seven days to submit its report to the council chairman.
Hon. Udo wished members of the committee well in their assigned task, and enjoined them to pursue same assiduously.
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Swinging into action immediately after the inaugural meeting, the committee members visited the mechanic village on a fact-finding mission.
Receiving the delegation, Mr Ekanem Okon Etuk, Chairman of the Mechanic Village, said the visit was timely and very necessary so as to defuse further tension and possible escalation of the problem.
The chairman explained that the issue was triggered by a case of two-fighting involving a certain Douglas Udo who is an apprentice to one Mr Etop John James, and a lad known by the moniker “the boy is good.”
Police officers at the scene declined revealing his official name to newsmen but confirmed that he is currently in police custody for stabbing Douglas Udo.
According to Mr James, the boy was arrested after he reacted angrily by stabbing his (James’) apprentice following a fisticuffs that ensued after he disrupted the burning of refuse in front of his (James’) shop.
James however refuted claims that his apprentice’s eye has been blinded by a stab from the detained suspect, saying it only affected the eyelid, not eyeball.
Speaking at the scene, the committee chairman, Barr Akpan commended the leadership of the mechanic village for toeing the path of peace by appealing to government to wade in and resolve the issue.
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Akpan also re-echoed that the matter was only a case of two-fighting, not Akwa Ibom versus the Igbo community as speculated by a section of online and print media.
He assured that the Administrative Panel of Enquiry as set up by Uyo Local Government Council would conduct an in-depth investigative hearing into the matter in order to totally resolve it and forestall possible future occurrence.
