C'River: Royal Fathers Urge Otu To Redeploy Chieftaincy Affairs SA

By Ben GBOR

Paramount rulers in Cross River state have called on Governor Bassey Otu to redeploy his special adviser on chieftaincy affairs, Sir Frank Edet, for deliberatly undermining the prestige of the royal institution.

In a petition endorsed by fifteen out of eighteen paramount rulers, the Royal Fathers alleged that the new SA lacks respect and regard for the traditional institution and, therefore, is not suitable for the office he has been appointed into.

According to the petition, “the whole Paramount Rulers of Cross River state were seriously disrespected, undermined, disregarded and belittled by the new special adviser to the governor on chieftaincy affairs on Friday, March 22, 2024”.

They alleged that “the traditional rulers in full council had humbly requested that the new SA, Chieftaincy Affairs should be invited to meet with them, for official introduction and recognition, but to their surprise and dismay, the SA refused to meet with them," saying that "he is SA Chieftaincy to the governor, and not to the paramount rulers”.

They went further: “The paramount rulers decided to meet with SA in his office, but met with further disrespect and disgrace, including verbal altercations”.

Continuing, the 15 signitaries in the petition including the chairman of the state traditional rulers council, and the Paramount ruler of Akpabuyo, His Royal Majesty Bar. Etim Okon Edet, Etinyin Otu Mesembe vi, (Odukpani), Etubom Nyong Effiom Okon (Calabar South),Ogamode Ipuole Onah (Yala), and 13 others maintained that “we humbly cannot work with such a prideful and and disrespectful person, who has no manners nor respect for tradition, but full of contempt”.