The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, has directed the Chairman of the House Committee on House Services, Hon. Lawrence Udoide, to ensure that the Assembly Chamber at the Assembly Complex along Udo Udoma Avenue is put in proper condition for the resumption of plenary on or before Tuesday, next week. The directive, issued on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, followed an altercation between lawmakers and security operatives at the Government House gate, which disrupted legislative activities and prevented members from accessing their temporary sitting venue at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs chamber. Addressing journalists shortly after the incident, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Jerry Otu, disclosed that the Speaker had mandated the House Services Committee to expedite work on the Assembly Chamber to facilitate the immediate return of lawmakers to the Assembly Complex for plenary sessions. Hon. Otu expressed ...
Breaking The Silence: AKS Government Targets Cultural Barriers, Calls For Stronger Protection Of GBV Survivors
By Asuquo Edem The Akwa Ibom State Government has intensified its campaign against gender-based violence, identifying harmful cultural practices, societal stigma and weak protection mechanisms as major obstacles in the fight against abuse, while calling for stronger safeguards for survivors seeking justice. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom (SAN), made the call on Tuesday during the flag-off of the 2026 Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Awareness Month in Uyo, declaring that the state must move beyond awareness campaigns to deliberate actions that dismantle the social and cultural structures enabling violence against women, children and other vulnerable persons. Speaking on the theme, "Implementing the AKS VAPP Law: From Awareness to Action," Udom said six years after the enactment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, the state has recorded significant progress in encouraging survivors to report abuse, but warned that cultural barrier...