NUJ Chairman, Comrade Archibong Bassey.
By Anietie Akpan
Following last Sunday shooting at Atakpa Police Station by Watt market, Calabar that led to the death of a woman and others injured, the Cross River State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has called for a full scale investigation into the incident.
In a 15 point communique issued at the end of its monthly congress presided over by the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Archibong Bassey at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre on March 26, the Congress condemned in strongest terms the shooting incident saying, thorough investigation was needed given the growing speculations that, “the killer cop committed a similar offense at his last station outside the state before he was codely deployed to the state to avert prosecution”.
The communique which was signed by the Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee, Isaac Aqua, the Secretary, James Ekpo and Edel Ita, Member, recommend “periodic psychiatric test to evaluate the mental well-being of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force as well as regular drug test especially at recruitment point to fish out drug addicts in the Police”.
Congress also advocated for a robust synergy between the state government, the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant agencies for a joint task force to curtail the alarming rate of drug abuses especially among youths arising from unhindered access to hard drugs/ substances across the state.
Accordingly, the NUJ appealed to the state government “to urgently establish a drug rehabilitation centre as requested for by the NDLEA to rehabilitate growing population of youths entangled in drug abuses across the state”.
It noted with delight,the deliberate efforts by government to check encroachment on government land especially at the University of Cross River State as well as recovery of government assets acquired under the guise of illegal auction or unauthorized sales, noting that, “the nefarious activities of land grabbers at UNICROSS poses a serious threat to safety and security of students”.
Furthermore, Congress commended the priority attention accorded the security sector by the state government, urging government to roll out a comprehensive programme aimed at addressing the challenges of street children roaming the state capital and other major urban town.
It also called for strict implementation of the Child Rights Law in the state to guard against growing numbers of street children describing the situation as “a ticking time bomb”.
On Environmrnt, Congress charged the state government to initiatiate actions to arrest erosion menace around the state capital and beyond to guard against deadly mishaps in future and the Ministry of Environment “to check, prone and replant ornamental trees along the Muritala Mohammed Highway and other areas to avert further mishaps”.
That the Ministry of Environment and the Waste Management Agency should also step up refuse evacuation mechanism, clear the drains around the city for a more healthy environment.
Members applauded the state government for the ongoing rehabilitation works at the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation describing the gesture as, “a reflection of the resilient determination of government to reposition the media sector in the state for optimum service delivery”.
The Union however appealed to the state government to urgently employ graduates and artisans with relevant background to fill the glaring manpower gaps to enable the Newspaper Corporation function effectively upon completion of the rehabilitation works.