From Akanimo Kufre , Uyo
Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade on Friday summoned an emergency security meeting to be attended by service commanders and traditional rulers in the state capital, Calabar. The meeting, The New Diplomat learnt is in connection with the recent spate of kidnapping which has made medical doctors down tools indefinitely as they recently resolved to go on industrial action should any of their professional colleagues be kidnapped in the State again..
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA in Cross River had embarked on an indefinite strike over the abduction of the wife of their colleague, Mrs. Christian Ekanem, a staff of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Mrs Ekanem was abducted from her home in Satellite Town Calabar on 10th of March 2020
In a communiqué, jointly signed on Thursday in Calabar, by the Chairman of NMA in Cross River, Dr. Agam Ayuk, and the Secretary, Dr. Ezoke Epoke, the NMA said at least 15 medical doctors and their dependents had been abducted in the state since 2017.
A source close to Cross River State government house Calabar said the governor is unhappy about the recent case of insecurity in the state capital.
“The governor met with the service commanders and has charged them to rise up to the challenge to ensure the peaceful nature of Calabar is not violated. In other to ensure wider participation and result, the Paramount rulers were invited for the meeting also, ” the source disclosed.
Meanwhile, the State Health commissioner is said to have held a peace building meeting with the NMA members while promising them that she will meet the governor to help resolve the issues.
On his part, the Cross River NMA chairman Dr, Ayuk said he felt almost accomplished with the governor summoning the security meeting but emphasised that NMA will still boycott work until the release of Mrs. Ekanem.
“Well nothing has really changed we has a rally this morning we will not return to wont until the release of Mrs Ekanem.”
Dr Ayuk pleaded with the general public to appreciate his organization’s position and predicament in the face of increasing wave of kidnapping in the State.
He said: “We are the victim here, we have been crying in our heart that the woman be released and we’ll go back to work. But we can’t wait until we are picked one after the other. Nobody will speak for us. we are excited there is a response. We pray that the response lead to expected result. The service commanders are complaining too. It’s an open secret that the security operatives are not properly equipped to fight crime. We are appealing to the governor to give the security commanders what they need and hold them accountable and we will have a peaceful Cross river state.”
