Obolo people will resist all marginalization moves by AKSG – Barr. Afiko blows hot
The Lawyer to Obolo Nation as Plaintiff in the ongoing legal battle concerning the just concluded teachers recruitment exercise, Barr Sunday Afiko has vowed that Obolo people will resist all moves to marginalize their people.
He expressed disappointment on the insensitive altitude of political office holders in Eastern Obolo for neglecting their people in the face of stiff oppression and also with the state government for not showing interest in resolving the matter even as the court earlier advised on peaceful settlement out of court.
The Obolo nation comprising Eastern Obolo, Mbo, Oron, Okobo, Urue offong/Oruku, Udung Uko, Andoni, Ibeno Local government areas of Akwa Ibom and Rivers State dragged the state government to court over alleged discrimination against teachers’ recruitment exercise conducted in public schools last year.
Joined in the suit no HU/332/2 as first to fifth respondents are the executive chairman secondary education board, the secondary education board, commissioner of education, the Attorney general and commissioner of Justice, and the state governor.
The communities through their representatives Dr, Dressman Romson, Dr. Markus Enene, and Dr. Inyang Eyoita are praying the court for an interim injunction restraining the Respondents by themselves, agents, privies, and any other person from continuing, processing, and carrying out the complaint recruitment process pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Speaking with newsmen on Thursday, 14th April 2022 at the court premise, Barr Afiko lamented that in the recruitment exercise conducted in all the local government areas in Obolo nation were allocated paltry slots while other LGAs had between 20 and 70 slots.
His words, “In the last 1000 teachers recruitment, Eastern Obolo was given just four slots, Ibeno eight slots while some local government like Oron had nine and non of them had up to 20 and above.
“”This is very sad as other Ibibio nations had as many as 20 to 70 slots and Ibesikpo Asutan had 79 slots. Aside from the slots, now we are asking what is perimeters the state government used in giving employment. They had filed their processes alleging that their processes were on merit.
“But, we have filed our reply challenging the process and now they are saying it was on approved score. And we are saying the approved score is so vague, that is not what to use in quantifying merit. Our people took full participation in the process, but, were not given the opportunity, they were marginalized”
Afiko also noted that the court in its wisdom suggested peaceful settlement but, the state government has not responded to the option and his clients will resist all attempts to marginalize the Obolo people in this form.
“”This goes to show the quality of leaders we have in Obolo nation because they would have protected the interest of our people who gave them their mandate to represent us in various offices if they did so, the essence of wasting time here in the court would have not been there.
“Let me call on our Governor who is today vying for the President of this country to please look into our plight and be fair to the people at this small level so that by the time he will get to lead our country he can also be fair to the whole country at large.
Meanwhile, the court presided over by Justice Archibong Archibong adjourned the matter to 9th June 2022.
