Patrick Obia
The Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Calabar branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have joined the band of organizations and individuals condemning Wednesday’s flogging of aged women by Police officers in Calabar.
Hundreds of road sweepers attached to the Calabar Urban Development Authority had on Wednesday protested been owed salaries for six months along major streets and were tear-gassed by policemen attached to the sting unit of Operation Akpakwu, a joint task force set up by the State Government.
The action has drawn widespread condemnation including from the Organised Labour. And, the PDP and NBA in separate statements, called for their stipends to be paid and increased to reflect the new minimum wage.
In a press statement issued and signed by it’s State Publicity Secretary, Prince Mike Ojisi, the PDP condemned the action describing its as the acts of, “some overzealous Police officers trying to ingratiate some unscrupulous elements in power.”
The party sought an investigation into the incidents and referred to the road sweepers as “unsung heroes that have continued to work assiduously to keep our city clean and green.”
“The Peoples Democratic Party Cross River State, condemn in totality the inhumane, barbaric and demonic treatment meted out on our aged mothers by some overzealous Police officers trying to ingratiate some unscrupulous elements in power. We call on the governor and the Commissioner of Police to expeditiously launch investigation into this flagrant act of human right abuse, as the right to protest is a fundamental human rights especially amongst workers protesting for their salary.
“More so, we enjoin the State Government to further investigate the nonpayment of salary to these environmental workers as they are our unsung heroes that have continued to work assiduously in keeping our city clean and green.
“We sympathize with all those manhandled by the Police during the protest for their rights, while admonishing them to remain calm and law abiding for there will be light at the end of the tunnel,” the party said.
Similarly, the NBA in a press statement signed by its Chairman,Attah Ochinke, Esq. termed the attack on the women by the Police as “appalling and outrageous,” expressing shock that the governor wastes salaries on irrelevant appointees yet can not pay the paltry to the sweepers.
The NBA posited that the State government should not only clear all their stipends but also increase their pays to minimum wage standard.
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