by crossriverwatch admin
Protesting Youths of Efut nation in Cross River State have appealed to Governor Liyel Imoke to call to order his Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs, John Eyikwaje and the Chairman of Calabar South Local Government Area of the state Hon. Ekeng Henshaw for allegedly promoting crisis in the traditional institution of the area.
The Youths numbering about 50 with placards of different inscriptions in a peaceful protest over the purported recent selection exercise of another Muri Munene of the Efuts noted that the administration of Imoke had enthroned peace in the area and that for over three years that the Muri Munene of Efuts His Majesty, Effiong Mbukpa mounted the Efuts traditional stool there have been peace in Calabar South.
The leader of Efuts youths, Etubom Esien Asuquo who spoke to crossriverwatch on behalf of others, said: “the peaceful demonstration is to register our displeasure over the non recognition of Munene Mbukpa by the state government many years after he concluded the traditional rites that qualified him to ascend to the throne”.
“This peaceful demonstration is to plead with the government to issue certificate of recognition to Muri Munene Effiong Okokon Mbukpa. We are surprise that few days ago the Special Adviser to the Governor and the Chairman of Calabar South just woke up on their own to conduct another election, saying that it was Governor Imoke that sent them which is not true. They are causing a lot of confusion in Calabar South,” he alleged.
Etubom Asuquo said that the youths of Efut nation were not happy over the development in the area and appealed to the government to recognize Munene Effiong Mbukpa, adding, “Since he has been in that stool for four years now the area has been calm, no carrying of machetes by cultists except now those opposing him are using area boys and cultists to even attack him.”
Receiving the youths at the residence of Munene Mbukpa, Chairman of Efuts Combined Assembly, the body responsible by tradition to conduct elections of any new monarch, Ndabo Obo E. Obo, commended the youths for being peaceful and assured them that there will not be any other Munene apart from Mbukpa which he said the assembly had declared the Muri Munene.
He also claimed that the Efuts Combined Assembly had gone to court to stop Prof. Hogan Itam who was purportedly selected in the last week’s selection exercise monitored by the Special Adviser to the governor on Chieftaincy Affairs and the Chairman of Calabar South to stop parading himself as Munene.
Saying: “The Court judgment in Suit No. HC/124/2011 disqualified all those who purportedly took part in the naming of Prof. Itam as Muri Munene which has been done twice by the rebels. We thank Governor Imoke for his landmark achievements in the state and appeal to him, not to allow illegality where some persons use thugs to dethrone a paramount ruler, other wise; it will be the order of the day in the state.”
Also speaking to crossriverwatch, the embattled paramount ruler Muri Munene Effiong Mbukpa thanked the youths for the solidarity shown to him in his trial moment and said that any community where the youths who he said are the future of tomorrow fail to participate in the affairs of the area, the community will be backward.
Mbukpa further said, “I stand by what the Chairman has said and I give all thanks to the Almighty God who gives power and not man. This matter is in the court of the Almighty God who is the best judge and He shall judge accordingly since corruption has become the order of the day and some highly placed government officials are bringing politics into traditional institution.”