The Cross River State House of Assembly, is set to begin investigation into the murder of a road side trader Mr Michael Essien who was murdered by operatives of the state's Department Of Public Transport (DOPT) in Calabar on Friday, June 21, 2019.
Following a motion by Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong for the Assembly to middle into the gruesome murder of a petty trader, Mr. Michael Essien, the House, yesterday inaugurated a 6-man committee to put the murderers, who are staff of the State’s Department Of Public Transportation (DOPT), up to face the law.
Recall that VOICE OF YALA reported that Mr. Michael Essien, a shoes seller at Watt Market, Calabar was on Friday, June 21st beaten and thereafter crushed to death by officials of DOPT on the premise that he doesn't own a shop inside the main market (Watt) and was running his business by the road.
Member representing Boki II State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong opened the debate floor when he registered his ‘motion of urgent public importance’, calling on his colleagues of the 9th Assembly to, as a matter of exigency support late Mr. Michael’s family get the justice the state government owed them.
The motion which was seconded by the Rt. Hon. Okon Ephraim of Calabar South II was accompanied by three (3) prayers; first, for a special investigation committee to be set up for the matter; secondly, the House should reach out to the traders/hawkers to calm their nerves; and thirdly, the House should visit the deceased family.
Additionally, the members agreed that DOPT be invited to appear before it for questioning and re-orientation as the agency is a brainchild of the House.
Granting the prayers of Hon. Bisong, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jones inaugurated a 6-member investigation committee to dig-deep into the matter and report back to the House before further steps would be taken.
The committee is headed by Rt. Hon. Ekpo Ekpo and has Rt. Hon. Itam Abang, Hon. Edward Ajang, Hon. Ogar Mbu, Hon. Sunday Achuneckang and Rt. Hon. Nelson Ofem as members.
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