Illegal Caretaker Committee Disrupts UCOR Service, Police Step In To Prevent Violence

By Lawrence Mpama

Palpable tension erupted at the Chapel of Redemption Church in the University of Calabar campus on Sunday after operatives of the Cross River State Police Command led by DCP Godwin Etim stormed the premises  to prevent violence as the illegal caretaker committee formed by the VC of University Calabar, Prof Offiong Effangha Offiong and headed by Prof Usang trys to disrupt today church service.

Prof. Usang attempts to struggle the mic with the Council Secretary who refused to give him the mic but rather gave the mic to the Leader of Service, Prof. EMMANUEL EDET, who is also  a member of BOT, to make announcement provoke the church.

A mic was smuggled into Prof. Usang’s hand who was flagged by Mr. Eguma Agbor, all of them are members of the illegal caretaker committee. The chairman is Prof Usang, who started talking to counter the announcement made by the leader of service, a situation that led to a voice resistance to his announcement. It was at this point that the  DCP of Police moved into the Church with his team and directed that the service be brought to an end. He directed that members should vacate the church premises immediately. The main subject matter is that the  Caretaker committee led by Prof Usang disobeyed the court injunction. From VC, Prof Paul Ajah, former Council chairman who lost reelection and has vow to tear the church about except Rev Dr Joseph Ushie is removed

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Godwin Etim, who led the squad, said intelligence at his disposal indicated that allowing the service to continue could result in violence.

“My duty first as a police officer is to protect lives and property. From what I have seen, if I allow the service to continue, it might lead to bloodshed in this church,” he told the congregation.

When asked why the service was halted, Etim said he had engaged all contending parties before taking action. “I have spoken to the two Reverends, to the two chaplains.
” I had also spoken to the members of the board of trustees, and they all agreed that the service should wind to an end, because of the tension you can see by yourself what has been going on here, so if we don’t apply this strategy now, fight might break out,” he said.

The DCP added that calm had been restored and both factions had been summoned for dialogue.

“We have invited both factions to our office tomorrow by 12 noon to enable us to rub minds with them, and to look at the issues raised and to see if there are solutions we can proffer to it.

“But for now they have to leave the church so that there won’t be any loss of lives and property and violence of any type,” he stated.

Tension was said to have heightened during the 8 a.m. service when some key church leaders, reportedly restrained by a court order from interfering with the rights of the embattled chaplain, Rev. Dr. Joseph Ushie, stormed the church.

To avert a breakdown of law and order, DCP Etim ordered the shutdown. Neither Rev. Dr. Ushie nor Rev. Eyo mounted the pulpit; both remained seated among the congregation while the church engaged in fervent prayer session until the service was stopped by the police.