June 23, (THEWILL)- Following various reports in the media space concerning the administrative sanction said to have been taken by the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) against one of its students, Iniobong Ekpo, leading to his expulsion, Governor Udom Emmanuel has set up a five-man panel to review the case.
THEWILL recalls that the final year student was recently expelled for using his Facebook page, popularly known as “Afrosix Jaara,” to remind the Governor about redeeming a pledge of employing first-class graduates of the institution as well as giving them N100,000 each.
A panel was allegedly set up to investigate the Facebook posting, with a verdict delivered before he was reportedly given an opportunity to defend himself.
An independent media practitioner, who preferred to remain anonymous, told THEWILL: “I knew Afrosix Jaara a couple of years ago at the height of rape incidences at AKSU. A particular case of a female student, who was gang-raped from dusk to dawn, tied up and beaten up, drew my attention. I waded in and did some discreet investigation. He helped greatly in the investigation.”
“On social media, Afrosix Jaara always campaigned for justice for the rape victim; but in return, he received threats to cease the advocacy. It was widely rumoured that a son of an AKSU senior lecturer was alleged to be a member of the rape tag-team.”
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor states: “We have followed the media-feeding frenzy by the usual motley crowd of political jobbers and inveterate rabble-rousers, who have maliciously tried to link the action taken by the university authority to the Visitor of the University, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“We wish to state here emphatically that Governor Emmanuel, a known apostle of freedom of expression, was and is still not aware of this purely administrative action reportedly undertaken by the university.”
According to the statement, the Governor directed the constitution of a panel, comprising five members and headed by the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, to review the case and submit its report with immediate effect.
