Face -Off Looms As Governor Otu, Speaker Collide Over Assembly's Clerkship

... Kate is the candidate for the job- Speaker

.... I only did my job by conveying Assembly Commission' nomination to Governor for necessary action - SSG

By Victor UDU

Tension is escalating between the leadership of the Cross River State House of Assembly and Governor Bassey Otu over the appointment of a substantive clerk of the 10th Assembly.

Keen watchers of the unveiling scenario believe the current confrontation is instigated by the desire of the Assembly to exert its independent with a view of checkmating the growing interloping tendency of the executive.

Accordingly, the fight for the Clerkship of the Cross River House of Assembly has now assumed a new dimension now as the Speaker, Elvert Ayambem allegedly bluff Governor Bassey Otu's choice in the person of Patrick Edi, insisting that Kate Ubi , who is next in line in terms of hierarchy and currently Deputy Clerk is the proper candidate for the job.

The tussle for the Clerk's office has been a lingering tussle since after the tenure of John Achot Okon even though the Assembly has however managed to accommodate successive appointees into the office but not without major wranglings as many have overstayed their respective tenures in office and disregarded the Civil service conditions of service.

The latest is however different because it has pitched the speaker against his boss, the executive governor of Cross River Bassey Otu.

The fight follows the release of a circular from the office of the Secretary to State government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh appointing Mr. Patrick M. Edi to office of Clerk and denying Catherine U. Ubi deputy clerk and director the opportunity to take up the responsibility when she was already second in command.

The move from the Executive has brought about wranglings even between staff because according to staff of the Assembly it upsets the order of succession, qualification and seniority.

Worried staff of the Assembly said the decision of the speaker was totally in agreement with the requirements of the law because the appointment of Edi sets at nought major pillars of the civil service rules which includes date of entry into service and rank of entry which are major determinants of seniority.

Grapevine findings by The Beagle News reveal that the Speaker who for now has been incommunicado may have decided to follow the civil service rule by insisting that Kate Ubi Esq is the proper person for the office to address this issue ones and for all.

Further findings from the service records show that Catherine Ubi Joined the service in 1995 on grade level 10 while Patrick Ebi joined the service of Cross River in 1991 on grade level 8. Edi's early entrance into the service before Kate notwithstanding he cannot be her senior because Kate was already his senior at the point of entry and remains so till date.

Their letters of appointment and confirmation attest to the above claim which is already supported by the fact that Kate was already deputy clerk to the immediate past Clerk, Dominic Akiba until his retirement from the service of the state lately.

Section 14 of the Assembly Service Commission law states that the Clerk be appointed from among the three Deputy clerks which Kate was already one.

Senior staff of the Assembly are perplexed over the appointment and have wondered what considerations were taken into place by the Head of the Commission, Justin Ugbe in the choice of Ebi against the proper and qualified candidate, Kate.

Anonimous Assembly staff pointed out that additional considerations puting Kate far ahead of Ebi include vast experience in law and having worked for many years in the legislature making her a very useful hand in helping the Speaker on legislative matters.

It's uncertain what action the Assembly will take, whether it will wait for the Executive to withdraw the controversial circular is unknown as the Speaker and other legislators are not ready to comment on the matter but onlookers say the executive has acted in error and may have been wrongly advised.

Responding to a question from THE BEAGLE NEWS on the matter, the Secretary to the State Government(SSG) Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, who signed the circular in question, said he only did his job by conveying the Assembly Commission's position to the governor and His Excellency's approval to the Assembly.