The Mbume people in Etung local government area of Cross River State have charged the state governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, to reinstate the suspended Etung LGA paramount ruler, His Royal Majesty Ntufam Dr. Oru Ojong, to avert the crisis in the local government area.
The people gave the charge in a resolution reached at the end of a stakeholders meeting, which took place at Bendeghe Ekiem Town Council Hall in Etung LGA of the State on Thursday.
Among the resolutions reached by the traditional rulers of Mbume clan included the immediate reintatement of the embattled monarch, whom they claimed had been reinstated by the Court, but unfortunately the state government was yet to execute court judgement.
Recall that the immediate-past administration of Prof. Ben Ayade had on May 28, 2021 suspended the paramount ruler, Ntufam Dr. Oru Ojong, over what it described as “unwholesome activities” that threatened the peace and stability of Etung local government area.
The Ayade administration had said that it derived the power to suspend the paramount ruler from the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Law No. 30 sub-section 2 (sic) of 2004.
But, dissatisfied, the suspended monarch approached the court to challenge his suspension at the State High Court in Calabar in Suit No: HC/96/2022.
Justice Elias Abia of the State High Court in Calabar eventually ordered the reinstatement of the monarch in a judgment delivered in March 2023.
However, speaking on behalf of Mbume Clan, the Village Head of Mkpage Nyarinka, Etomi community, Chief Fabian Emmanghe, and his Bendeghe Ekiem counterpart, Ntufam Odu Ndep of Bendeghe Ekiem community, charged the State government to, without further delay, reinstate the paramount ruler according to the order of the Court.
“You don’t replace a traditional ruler when he is still alive and allow another individual to be parading himself as a paramount ruler.
“We can’t have two paramount rulers at a time. Two captains cannot steer same ship. After his suspension, he went to court and secured a court judgement. Unfortunately, the judgment was never executed.
“This is why we are also calling on the chairman of Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council to join forces with state government in the reinstatement of Etung paramount ruler,” Mbume clan heads maintained.
The aggrieved Mbume clan stated that they were not waging any war against the state government, stressing that all they were seeking was the reinstatement of their paramount ruler.
Also, the youth president of Abia community in the LGA, Comrade Elvis Ebuta, and his Bendeghe Ekiem counterpart, Comrade Takon Mgbe, urged Governor Otu to expedite action in the reinstatement of the monarch so that peace can return to the land.