By Harris-Okon Emmanuel

UYO—Condemnation has continued to trail the clean bill of health given to Apostle Akan Weeks, General Overseer of Reigners Bible Church, Uyo, by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State after a Commission of Inquiry found the pastor culpable in the collapse of his church building.

Udom Emmanuel

The governor in a white paper released last week, exonerated the cleric but upheld other recommendations that other persons found to have played key roles in the shoddy job which led to the collapse of the church building be prosecuted.

Some stakeholders in the state who spoke with Vanguard  yesterday on  conditions of anonymity were disappointed that the pastor was let off the hook, while others were recommended  for prosecution.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state said it stands with Akwa Ibom people, especially the families of the dead and injured, to condemn the governor for his lack of empathy and sense of justice.

State Publicity Secretary of the party, Edet Bassey, said: “By trying to shield Apostle Akan Weeks, the owner of the church, from justice, Governor Emmanuel has violated the oath of office he took which constrains him from allowing personal interest to influence his duties and responsibilities to the people.

“Apostle Weeks was indicted in unambiguous terms for failing to obtain requisite approval from government before embarking on the construction work, tampering with the structure by removing essential components and refusal to heed professional advice. Weeks is reported to have been obstinate and remained resolute in defiance of the “Stop Work” notice issued to him by the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, UCCDA.

“What is shocking is that notwithstanding the recommendation of the commission of inquiry that Apostle Weeks be prosecuted for complicity in the death and injury to innocent citizens, the state governor  has objected to his prosecution’’

Also, a lawyer,   Inibehe Effiong, expressed dismay over the rejection of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry which nailed the pastor.

He accused the government of treating the matter with levity, saying that he was still studying the position of the government and will decide on the next line of action in the coming days.