The lawyers representing 13 paramount rulers opposed to the recent creation of the new status of “president-general for life” for the Ibibio monarch, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk, the paramount ruler of Nsit Ubium local government area of Akwa Ibom State, have expressed fears that the lingering crisis trailing the decision may last longer.
They hinged their position on the insistence of the state’s attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Mr. Uko Udom (SAN), that the case must be withdrawn from the court for peace settlement.
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A section of the Traditional Rulers’ Act was recently amended by the House of Assembly and hurriedly signed into law by Governor Umo Eno.
As the action led to ethnic tension between the majority Ibibio tribe and the minority ethnic nationalities of Annang, Oro, and Obolo, Governor Umo Eno intervened and urged the aggrieved monarchs to withdraw the case from the court for amicable settlement.
But the counsel to the 13 monarchs, mostly of Annang extraction, led by Barr Jumbo Uyo-Obong Udom, expressed misgivings at a press conference in Abak LGA yesterday. He lamented that the opposition of the commissioner to the plaintiff’s application for leave in order to explore amicable resolution of the crisis was a thorn in the way forward for peace as canvassed by the governor.
In his reaction to the lawyers’ stand, the justice commissioner insisted that the aggrieved traditional rulers must heed the governor’s plea to totally withdraw the case for genuine negotiations towards peace to commence.
Udom explained that “the affected traditional rulers had dragged the state government to court, challenging the signing into law of the amended Traditional Rulers Law, Cap. 155, particularly the aspect that perpetually assigns the position of president-general of the state’s Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers to the Office of Oku Ibom Ibibio, Ntenyin Etuk, neglecting the age-long rotational principles.”
He said that out of respect for the governor and in view of the limited period of the case in court, the monarchs had sought a middle ground and filed a motion for leave to explore settlement and for adjournment sine die to enable parties to meet and explore settlement with the governor.
Udom continued, “In view of this, we file a motion before the state high court seeking leave to engage the state governor to explore avenues for settlement, and we also sought that the court adjourn the matter’sine-die’ (without any date whatsoever) until the parties are able to settle.
“The plaintiffs informed the court they cannot accept withdrawal of the case in view of the three-month timeline of the case, which was why they sought this middle ground as a sign of good faith.
“Because of the position taken by the attorney-general, the application for leave was withdrawn, but it was later struck out during proceeding. That means that the case filed by the traditional rulers remains, and we have set a date for hearing on November 16, 2023. So, we need to let the public know so that nobody will blame the traditional rulers for not giving room to the governor to explore and resolve the issues,” he said.