I can’t protect you, Akwa Ibom CP tells PUNCHman

MARCH 17, 2015 : ETIM EKPIMAH, UYO

The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Gabriel Achong, has said he has no business protecting the PUNCH correspondent in the state, Mr. Etim Ekpimah, from strange people threatening his life.

Achong stated this while speaking with the reporter on the telephone on Monday following a threat message the correspondent forwarded to Achong from one Mr. Martin Akpan who had threatened to use force in collaboration with others he did not name, to get the correspondent out of the state.

The threat message from Akpan, which was sent to former Saturday PUNCH Editor, Mr. Emeka Madunagu, read, “Hi, Etim. One guy, Martin Akpan, called me today to complain about your story in today’s Punch(Sunday). He said they will make you leave Akwa Ibom by force. His number is 08163192421.”

Sunday PUNCH had on March 15, published a story entitled, ‘Akwa Ibom: State where commissioners, others, kneel for Akpabio’s wife.” The story, ex-rayed how the state Commissioner for Works, Mr. Don Etim, knelt to talk to Akpabio’s wife despite that there were vacant seats beside the governor’s wife, during a PDP campaign rally.

The story went further to tell how a member in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, representing Mbo State Constituency, Mrs. Alice Ekpenyong, knelt before the governor’s wife at the Independent National Electoral Commission office, Uyo, where they were being presented with the certificates of return in 2011.

Also a Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Glory Edet, was recently seen fanning her during the presentation of the 2015 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly.

On Monday, however, the correspondent got a bitter dose of the police commissioner’s venom, when Achong pointedly accused the PUNCHman of collecting money from opposition parties to write the story.

He noted that the kneeling down by the commissioner was not the journalist’s business, but rather a sign of respect to the Akwa Ibom State governor’s wife.

The CP said, “You are on your own. I do not have any business protecting you. This is how you people go about causing troubles. You have brought serious embarrassment to the man(Etim) and his family.

“If you want to talk with your madam in your office, do you stand to talk with her? Anybody can kneel down for another as a sign of respect.

“This is none of your business. I do not care about what happens to you. If you have collected money from those who asked you to write the story, why did you not tell them that you cannot write?”

The correspondent had received many calls from strange individuals, threatening to deal with him for bringing the state works commissioner into disrepute.
http://www.punchng.com/news/i-cant-protect-you-akwa-ibom-cp-tells-punchman/

What then is the duty of the Nigerian Police if not to maintain law and order and also, protect us? Like they say in Yorubaland, "oju ni alakan fi nso ori", I will advise him to take precautionary steps to protect himself at all times. If possible, go on a vacation until things have settled in a bit and he should go with members of his family as well.

On a serious note, this is a big issue. What was the write up intentionally done to tarnish the image of Etim or was it done ignorantly. What is the antecedent of the writer.
Media is a vehicle that can be used to drive development, however, it can also be used as an instrument for deceit, confusion, war and division. In Nigeria today, most, if not all media houses have sold their soul to one political party or another. Sad to say the least.
The responsibility of the police is to protect all Nigerians and our properties, however, ridiculing the police with such an article will worsen things for the writer. They would have exhausted all option before writing this particular article.

Even though the answer given by the CP to the reporter is wrong, I think it serves the reporter right.
The only picture he is spreading around shows a man who needed to talk to the first lady privately and bent one knee to whisper to her. How that translates to kneeling down is only from the mumu's imagination.

Now he wants protection when he was the same one that saw yanga sleeping and as trouble, he went to wake her.

I was listening to a programme on the only independent radio station in the state and the APC mumu rep was asked why the party was campaigning against Akpabio and not Udom the governorship aspirant, the man couldn't answer. Too many badbelle people in the state.

GboyegaD:
What then is the duty of the Nigerian Police if not to maintain law and order and also, protect us? Like they say in Yorubaland, "oju ni alakan fi nso ori", I will advise him to take precautionary steps to protect himself at all times. If possible, go on a vacation until things have settled in a bit and he should go with members of his family as well.

Isn't it a shame that the Nigeria Police has become dangerously compromised, partisan and clearly biased against anything anti-PDP?
The same police that is reported to provide cover to pdp looters and criminals of all kind, could not even pretend to assure a common citizen of his security when he report serious threats to his life even with daunting evidence. This is the lowest of all lows. Even the TANoids would never imagine our nation's intitutions to be so dragged on a downward spiral of this dangerous level.

Away with PDP!
Away with Jonathan!!

Sai Buhari!!!

The PDP uses AIT, NTA etc to run inflamatory and inciting "documentaries" to insult and peddles clear falsehood against opposition figures, no one threatens their lives but they receive full police and military protection like a fortress. Here is just a single exposition from a newspaper correspondent, and the PDP is threatening lives...even with the same police that is supposed to protect lives.

Seun, lalasticlala, ishilove, et al.
Now is time to promote and defend the much talked about freedom of information and the press (-GEJ's acclaimed achievement).

Hmmm

The Reporter has bites more than he can chew..I think that serves him right. Next time, he wont pock nose to matters that doesnt concern him.

But wait oooo..The CP shouldnt av reacted to it dis way, 4 crying out, they r talking of death threatening messages. If anything happens to d Olofofo reporter, i think d CP is in for it.



Away from CP and Correspondent, i would like to use dis medium to voice out my preferable candidate 4 d post of president for d first time on Nairaland... It will be of great pleasure if nairalanders hit the like button for our man. Using our coz its a collective decision of all my family member....our man is GENERAL MUHAMMAD BUHARI

That picture was not a big deal.


Naija sha

Punch reporters and their hallmark of lazy Journalism.
Instead of doing extensive investigation and making inquiries, they write crap and feed people half-truths.
I hope they give you a serious thrashing before you leave.

but God can!!!!!!

Really?

A whole CP uttering gibberish, in a sane clime this statement is enough for him to be sack or resign.

Hmm..

Okay

Country gone to the dogs.

Other countries are battling with sustainability, 9ja is battling with backwardness and moving slowing ..

all the plan is set......
gate of hell would be open
only if Gej wins there will be peace in Nigeria
no Gej no Nigeria

The Nigeria Police Force need total deliverance. Imagine what a CP is saying?

It's time they legalize guns in this country..

Just imagine the rubbish the asshole that swore to protect every Nigerian citizen is saying? Despite the fact that he receives his salary from people's taxes

I wouldn't have reacted differently if I was the police.
You collect money and concort absolutely baseless and misleading stories, then come to the police for protection?

PDPs are a plague to our country

frankmishael1:
all the plan is set......
gate of hell would be open
only if Gej wins there will be peace in Nigeria
no Gej no Nigeria

Can you say this in front of your children or your parent ?

A police commissioner who thinks his job is to provide security for politicians.

Nigeria is a failed state.

If the police can't protect us who can?

Punchman has finally punched a sac of nails. That picture was not what the reporter made it seems. The man just wanted a private discussion with the govs wife and nothing more. You don't go embarrassing people and expecting them to clap for you.
.
Now the reporter is goin further by embarrassing the police commissioner by publishing their conversation.
.
Don't get me wrong I am not supporting the threats and the outburst of the CP. But the Punchman is just looking for trouble left, right and center.

Punchman ur own don finish

santity100:


Can you say this in front of your children or your parent ?

dick head

What else do u expect since FG are the ones paying there salary. In addition akwa ibom is a PDP state.

i dont even know the kind of police the zoo call nigeria is breeding this days.waiting for march 28 for some police men like joseph.mbu and this yeye police commission to be strip off thier rank and be thrown in kirikiri.