Akwa Ibom, being the headquarters of the body in the South-South zone, was slated to host the event and the venue was the Ibiobio Unity Park along Udo Udoma Avenue.
The group had commenced a street walk from the NNPC mega station, a 15 kilometre journey to the venue when the police stopped the programme and dispersed the crowd.
National Coordinator of the group, Saint Athanasius Okon, said his organisation paid money to secure the venue and that it even invited the state governor, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, as guest of honour for the event.
“We have held event in this park before and we paid money then as well. We also sent a letter to the governor of this state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, inviting him as a guest of honour. We did not exclude the government in the arrangement. The officials asked us to write a letter to the Permanent Secretary for permission, we did. “So, there was nothing we did not do as law-abiding citizens; we followed due process. So, they are trying to play politics by telling us to come back under the guise that the commissioner is not around”, he said.
Okon added: “These were the same people in the office that asked us to draft a letter and write it to the permanent secretary; surprisingly, they picked the phone and called us to address it to the commissioner. Our people went back and paid money without mentioning BFON and they gave us receipt immediately. This is an unnecessary embarrassment to us. Nigerians want this culture of impunity, embezzlement and stealing to stop: we are tired of it”.
A police source who sought anonymity said the “order to stop the rally came from above’’.
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