The Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, in Ikot Ekpene Local Council have suspended the Sit-at-Home it had earlier embarked on in protest over the detention of its member Mrs Comfort Edet by the Police in Akwa Ibom.
The suspension followed the release of Edet who was earlier detained by the Police in connection with the abduction of a pupil in her class at Methodist Township School in Ikot Ekpene.
A statement from the Ikot Ekpene branch Secretary of the Union, Comrade Bassey Akpanama made available to newsmen on Sunday in Uyo directed all teachers and schools in the area to reopen for normal academic activities on Monday.
“May this serve to inform all teachers in public primary schools, in particular, and the general public, at large, that a teacher in Methodist Township School, 34 Chubb Road, Ikot Ekpene, Mrs Comfort Edet, who was unlawfully held in detention by the Officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo has been released.
“Recall that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Ikot Ekpene Branch, in a press release dated 26th January, 2022 had directed all teachers/pupils in public primary schools in Ikot Ekpene LGA to embark on operation ‘sit – at – home’ following the expiration of the 48 hours ultimatum given to Educational Stakeholders and Security Agencies until the innocent teacher is set free from police detention.
“Interestingly, the teacher was released free of charge within 24 hours from the moment schools were shut down.
“By this development, NUT Ikot Ekpene Branch wishes to state that from Monday, 31st January, 2022, all public primary schools will be opened for normal academic activities.” The statement said.
The union however advised teachers and students to device proactive measures and be security conscious in their schools’ premises in order to forestall a re-occurrence of such incidence.
It also advised police officers to be guided by the ethics of the NPF while discharging their official duties as, “NUT will neither sit tight nor fold Its arms in complacency and watch them taking laws into their hands.” It concluded.
