The 13 Paramount Rulers in Akwa Ibom State have said they would continue with the State Traditional Rulers Law suit against the Akwa Ibom state government despite Governor Umo Eno’s appeal for withdrawal.
The aggrieved Paramount Rulers from Annang, Oro and Obolo extraction are unhappy with the Governor, Speaker of the State House of Assembly and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice for passage of the amended Traditional Rulers Law supporting Oku Ibom Ibibio as the President-General of Supreme Traditional Rulers Council to remain in perpetuity.
They are equally unhappy that Vice President I belongs to President of Afe Nkuku Annang and Vice President II goes to Ahta of Oro.
It was gathered that the offices are stratified along ethnic lines as Ibibio is rated the largest ethnic group in the state while the second and third larger ethnic nationalities are Annang and Oro in the state.
The Nextedition learnt that the offices are not rotational even after the demise of the President-General, which makes the public perceive the law as being deliberate and discriminatory to subjugate people from the other ethnic backgrounds.
StraightNews reports that the press conference that was held in Abak on Monday, and addressed by Uyobong Jumbo, esq, a counsel to the plaintiffs noted that the minorities were still dismayed that the peace process clamoured by the state governor on the issue had been scuttled.
Jumbo, one of the leading counsels to the plaintiffs, recalled that on September 22, 2023, the State House of Assembly hurriedly passed the controversial amended Traditional Rulers Law despite the existing court order and opposition from some critical stakeholders in the state.
Flanked by Sunday Uko Afiko and Diamond Akpanika, esq, he also said that on October 17, 2023, the Governor met with the 31 Paramount Rulers in the state, and urged the aggrieved royal fathers to withdraw the case from the court for settlement.
According to him, the royal fathers were excited and willing for peaceful resolution of the thorny issue, but the defendants’ condition of total withdrawal of the matter from the court is unacceptable to his clients.
“The suit has a three-month validity right from the time the bill was passed into law and assented to by the Governor. Already, more than one month is gone remaining one month. After three months, the suit would not be accepted in court again as it would be statute-barred.
“Based on the need for settlement, the Paramount Rulers asked their lawyers to file a motion of leave, seeking the governor to explore avenue for settlement. However, when the matter came up for hearing in the court, (Monday), the defendants through Attorney-General filed a counter motion and opposed the motion for leave for settlement.
“In view of the fact that the matter has a time limit, and considering the fact that the matter is in the public view, we filed a motion withdrawing the leave. If the Paramount Rulers were to consent to the governor, I do not think the matter could be amicably resolved within one month left,” he pointed out.
Jumbo announced that counsels to the plaintiffs have taken a date for the hearing of the matter, saying that no lawyer would advise his client to withdraw the case that the possibility of resolving is not in sight.
Speaking too, Diamond Akpanika, esq, noted that the Paramount Rulers are contesting against the provisions in sections 47 and 48 of the amended law.
According to him, Section 47 stipulates that Oku Ibom Ibibio shall remain as the President-General of the Supreme Traditional Rulers Council in perpetuity.
Section 48 of the law, according to him, provides that Vice President I from Annang and Vice President II from Oro being the second and third larger ethnic nationalities shall occupy those offices.
“These provisions have contravened the spirit of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) because the ethnic groups have been stratified. This is against the protection of minorities rights as contained in Section 42 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution,” he explained.
The plaintiffs’ team comprises Igerianar Asso. NBA, Ekpenyong Ntekim, Aniekan Akpan, Emmanuel Isangidoho, Innocent Idemudia, Sunday Uko Afiko, Anthony Udonsa, and Magdalene Effiok.
