The Akwa Ibom State Government has denied the Buhari Friends Organisation Network the venue where it planned to use to address its members after a South-South zonal rally against corruption.
The National Coordinator of the group, Athanasius Okon, said on Saturday that the organisation decided to begin the programme from the Unity Park in Uyo, the State capital, since it is the group’s South-South zonal headquarters.
According to Okon, Akwa Ibom government officials asked the group to write a letter to the permanent secretary in charge of the facility for permission to use the venue, which they did.
He noted that they did everything requested of them as law-abiding citizens to secure the venue to no avail.
“We held an event in this park before. We paid money then as well as for this event. We sent a letter to the governor of the state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, inviting him as a guest of honour. We did not let the government out of the arrangement.
“The officials asked us to write a letter to the Permanent Secretary for permission and we did. We followed due process. They were trying to play politics by telling us to come back in the guise that the commissioner was not around.
“These were the same people in the office that asked us to write a letter to the permanent secretary.
“Our officials paid money without mentioning BFON and they gave us receipt immediately”, he said.
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