Over 2, 000 women hold rally for slain job seeker in Akwa Ibom

• NBA protests against neglect of judiciary workers over strike
No fewer than 2,000 women in Akwa Ibom State held a solidarity march to protest against the gruesome murder of late Iniubong Umoren on Wednesday.

The women, who marched through Uyo, chanted: We Want Justice For Iniubong; Justice For One Is Justice For All and No More Rape, No More Gender Violence.

They also carried placards with inscriptions such as: “#Stand In Solidarity With Akwa Ibom Women; We Demand Justice For Iniubong Umoren and #Rape Is A Crime Punishable By Law” among others.

The women matched from the Ibom Plaza to NwaniIba and Willington Bassey Way leading to Government House.

Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Felicia Bassey, the state Chairman of International Federation of Women Lawyer (FIDA), Emem Etteh among others, led the women on the rally.

Addressing the protesters, first lady of the state, Dr. Martha Emmanuel, assured them that justice would be done in the killing of Iniubong and other issues of rape and domestic violence in the state.

On her part, Bassey decried the injury done to the late Iniubong’s family, stressing that the crime and the culprits should be prosecuted, while Adiakpan lamented that cases of sexual molestation and harassment have increased and should be stopped.

She charged women to unite and fight a common cause, stressing that they should show concern, especially to victims of gender-based violence.

Also, Etteh maintained that FIDA would continually defend women, noting that a lot had to be done to re-orientate their male counterparts on their duties and role, as defenders of women.

MEANWHILE, the Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Eket and Oron branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have protested against the lackadaisical attitude of the Akwa Ibom State Government and House of Assembly towards the ongoing strike of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

They condemned government’s neglect of the judiciary workers over their demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary, which has led to the total lockdown of courts and collapse of administration of Justice in the state.

Given the worsening state of insecurity in the country, the association also urged the state government to take proactive steps in checking escalating crimes in Essien Udim, Ika and Ikono councils.

They spoke through their chairmen, Aniema Etuk, Gloria Etim, David Ekpo and Tokunbo Otoyo, disclosing that the National President of NBA, Olumide Akpata, directed all members across the federation to meet with governors of their various states to implement financial autonomy for the judiciary.