The Mbume clan in Etung LGA of Cross River State have called on Governor Bassey Otu to obey court ruling and reinstate His Royal Majesty HRM, Ntufam Dr. Oru Ojong as the paramount ruler of the area.
They expressed worry that the state government hardly bothers to execute court judgements, denying the monarch access to the throne.
The Càlabar High Court presided by Justice Elias Abia on Thursday March 2023, in Suit No. HC//96/2023, asked the state government to reinstate the monarch.
He had been suspended by the Ben Ayade Government in 2022 after a case between the Etung Paramount Ruler HRM Ntufam Dr Oru Ojong and the immediate past council chairman for Etung LGA Ntufam John Nkom went to court in suit No. HC/96/2022 .
This followed a petition from the immediate past council chairman for Etung LGA, John Nkom, accusing the monarch of embezzling N12.5m meant for the Cocoa landlord communities.
The state government set up a committee which later exonerated the paramount ruler, however, the monarch is yet to be reinstated.
The Mbume stakeholders have now met at Bendeghe Ekiem Town Council hall in Etung LGA to resolve the impasse.
Resolutions reached by the traditional rulers was the immediate reinstatement of the paramount ruler, whom they claimed was reinstated by the court but unfortunately the government hesitated.
Spokesmen of the Mbume clan, who is also the village head of Mkpage Nyarinka, Etomi community, Fabian Emmanghe and his Bendeghe Ekiem counterpart, Ntufam Odu Ndep of Bendeghe Ekiem community, charged the government to reinstate the monarch.
They warned that it is dangerous for another person to be parading as a paramount ruler whilst the incumbent was still alive.
“You don’t replace a traditional ruler when he is still alive and allow another individual to be parading himself as paramount ruler.
“We can’t have two paramount rulers at a time. Two captains cannot steer the same ship. After his suspension, he went to court and secured a court ruling in his favour, unfortunately the judgment was never executed.
“We also call on the chairman of the Cross River State Traditional Rulers’ Council to join forces with the state government and reinstate the paramount ruler”.
The youth presidents of Abia Bendeghe Ekiem communities, Elvis Ebuta and Takon Mgbe, respectively, urged the governor to abide by the court judgment.
This, they said, will avert the tearing the local government Area into shreds.
Obey court order, reinstate paramount ruler – Cross River Clan urges Otu