by crossriverwatch admin
Calabar High Court has issued notice of consequences of disobedient of order of court (Form 48) on the Special Adviser to Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River state on Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. John Eyikaje for his alleged disobedience of the court’s judgment and rulings on the traditional tussle of the Muri Munene of Efuts nation of Calabar South Local Government Area of the State.
The Court had in a judgment on September 21, 2011, recognized the embattled Effiong Mbukpa as the Muri Munene of the Efut nation as he was said to have completed the traditional rites and funeral obsequies of the late Muri Munene and was selected by the Efut Combined Assembly, a body said to have been saddled with the responsibility of the selection.
The court also on October 16, 2012, in a motion ex-parte had granted leave to application by Muri Munene Mbukpa, Ndabu Obo E. Obo, Chairman of Efut Combined Assembly and the Secretary Ndabu Godwin Bassey to file an Order of Certiorari quashing the decision of the Cross River State government to conduct selection into the office of the Muri Munene.
In the order made by Justice Edem Ita Kooffreh, the Leave granted should serve as stay of action in the said purported selection.
But the Special Adviser was accused of defying the court order and allegedly invited factional members opposing the embattled Muri Munene through Muri Okokon Ambo who was said to have been suspended by the Efut Combined Assembly during the reign of the late Muri Munene Ita Okokon Ekpenyong and which suspension was allegedly upheld in a High Court judgment in 2011.
He was also accused of going contrary to a subsisting Court judgment that had recognized Muri Munene Mbukpa in 2011, an action viewed to be contemptuous.
Eyikwaje was said to have recognized Prof. Hogan Itam as the Muri Munene elect despite the court order and the judgment recognizing Mbukpa which allegedly had neither been challenged nor vacated.
Consequently, the form 48 addressed to the Special Adviser and signed by the Registrar of the State High Court dated October 24, 2012 read in part, “Take Notice that unless you obey the directive contained in the Order which is attached hereto, you will be guilty of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”