Sack Of Paramount Ruler Of Calabar South, Muri Munene Of The Efuts – Governor Ayade Is Right BY AGBA JALINGO

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The Cross River State Traditional Rulers Law which is readily online and can be accessed by anyone that has data on the phone, in Section 30 sub 3, clearly forbids monarchs in our State from participating actively in a political activity. They all know the law.

Prof. Itam attended an elders meeting that wanted to vote for a consensus candidate to reduce the number of PDP aspirants from southern Cross River to a manageable size. Once it got to the point of voting, he should have abstained and left. But he participated actively and cast his vote and it was counted valid. That is in breach of the law and we must say so.

The law says, once that happens, withdrawal of authority from a Paramount Ruler is “Mandatory.” But the governor didn’t even go that way. He set up a committee of three other Royal Fathers to investigate. The committee was headed by the Obol Lopon of Ugep and the Paramount Rulers of Abi and Obanliku LGAs. They all met in Calabar where the allegations were put before the dethroned Muri Munene. He pleaded guilty to all allegations himself.

He accepted going against the advice of the Chairman of the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council, the Etiyin of Bakassi, not to attend a political meeting where he will be active. He responded that he is 86 years old and did not have to wait for anyone to tell him the meetings to attend. He told the Committee that he had spent over two hours in the meeting before he realized it was a political meeting but still did not leave. He also accepted breaching section 30(3) of the State Traditional Rulers law.

In their recommendations to the Governor, the Obol Lopon led Committee did not recommend the sack of the Muri Munene. They advised that, having accepted that he breached the law, the Governor should caution the Muri Munene and tamper justice with mercy since he was a first time offender.

The sack was actually at the Governor’s discretion and that is also his prerogative.

In my opinion. The Governor did what the law expects of him and it is good and will help to keep our traditional rulers in check.

Meanwhile, what is the double speak from HE Donald Duke about the consensus candidate that emerged from this same meeting? Loading …

Yours sincerely.

Citizen Agba Jalingo is the Publisher of CrossRiverWatch and a rights activist, is a Cross Riverian and writes in from Lagos.

NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Agba Jalingo and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.