Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River has been called upon to reinstate the suspended traditional ruler of Etung Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, Dr Emmanuel Ojong.
The call was made by clan heads in the council area, after a stakeholders meeting at Bendeghe in Etung Local Government Area on Thursday.
The resolutions reached at the meeting was read by the clan head of Mkpage Nyarinka, Chief Fabian Emmanghe and his Bendeghe Ekiem counterpart, Ntufam Ndep.
They appealed to the governor to obey the court order and reinstate the traditional ruler, who was suspended by the immediate past administration of the state.
The then governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, had on May 28, 2021, announced the suspension of Ojong over what he termed as “unwholesome activities” which threatened the peace and stability of Etung council area.
Ayade had said that he derived the power to suspend Ojong from the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Law No. 30 sub section 2 (sic) of 2004.
The suspension was subsequently challenged at the court by the traditional ruler in the suit No. HC/96/2022.
However, Justice Elias Abia of High Court in Calabar, ordered his that he be reinstated in a judgment delivered in March .
The people said that the call for his reinstatement was for peace to reign in the council area.
According to them, you do not 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 judgment, unfortunately the judgment was never executed.
“This is why we are also calling on the chairman Cross River State Traditional Rulers’ Council to join forces with state government to reinstate Etung as paramount ruler.”
The clan heads, however, stated that they were not waging any war against government, but were only appealing for the reinstatement of their paramount ruler.
