As part of activities to mark the 36th Anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Umo Bassey Eno, has Inaugurated the State’s Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and presented Staff of Office to the President General Oku Ibom Ibibio and Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium LGA, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk.
The Governor also swore-in and presented staff of office to the Paramount Ruler of Udung Uko LGA, Edidem Bassey Etim Edet JP, as the new Chairman of State Traditional Rulers’ Council and HRM Edidem Aniefiok Monday Akpanobong as Paramount Ruler of Etinan LGA.
The event which held at the Traditional Rulers Council Chamber, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, on Saturday featured presentation of brand new cars to the Chairman of the State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers.
Eno while urging the monarchs to maintain quality of being worthy of honour and respect he said “I like to request that our traditional fathers should maintain the sanctity of their offices with dignity. They should not allow politicians to take them for granted.”
Shortly after swearing-in and presentation of staff of office to the Paramount Ruler of Etinan LGA, at the Traditional Rulers Council Chamber, he explained that the law for the Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and the enthronement of the Oku Ibom as the President- General as well as the Akuku Annang and Ahta Oro as Vice President I and II were exclusively the decisions of the Paramount Rulers,
Seeing the disappointed look on other Akwa Ibom indigenes’ faces the Governor said, hastily, that the bill and the subsequent passing into law was basically to give legal backing to their decision.
Continuing his speech, “Before I came into office, the paramount rulers had met in amongst themselves. I was just a witness at that meeting. The 31 paramount rulers in the state, apart from those that were ill or deceased met and agreed that to enable Akwa Ibom to play a role in the national traditional rulers council, there was a need to elevate the traditional rulers council by now calling it Supreme Traditional Rulers Council headed by the President-General that they have had for 4 years. I didn’t appoint him.
Having felt how the inauguration of the Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers would impact on his governmment Pastor Umo Bassey Eno said “there are several insinuations and misunderstanding that is being created in the minds of the people by those who failed at the elections and they think they can turn around and divide the state by whipping up ethnic sentiments. That is not going to be possible under this administration.”
Governor who could not get over the fact that people had misunderstanding over his role of assenting to the bill, on the other hand said, “I’ll like any traditional ruler from any part of this state to stand up boldly and say he was not at that meeting.”
He said there was only one suggestion from the Paramount Ruler of Itu who said there should be a slight modification and that slight modification was well taken, creating the two other offices (VPG 1 and VPGII).
According to him, “the President-General is the Oku Ibom Ibibio. Along with him, they had a Vice President- General I, Nkuku Annang and chose Ahta Oro, as Vice President-General II.”
“They said that would represent the Supreme Council of the Traditional Rulers for the purposes of playing at the national level. They now decided to rotate the chairmanship of the Traditional Rulers Council as it has always been. They did this without my interference.”
“To make that possible, we needed to back it up with law. So when I came into office, we had to consult; the bill was sent to the House of Assembly to make it a law. The bill went to the House of Assembly and I understand there was a public hearing,” he continued.
“The bill was passed and I came back yesterday and signed it to law. Doing that was just honouring the wishes of our traditional fathers. And I had expected them to call me and thank me for honouring what they wanted. I did not originate the bill. I did not have a part in that bill.”
The governor alleged emphatically, after he relayed the content of his mind, that the scheme of people who stood election and lost was coming through the back door to try and confuse Akwa Ibom people, saying that is completely not acceptable.
“I ran for election for the office of the governor of Akwa Ibom State for the Ibibios, for the Annangs, for the Oros, for everyone and I will respect that until the day I leave office,” he said.
On the bill, Truth Live News learned that the Governor said, “I must thank the House of Assembly for respecting the wishes of our royal fathers. I was told earlier this morning that some people led a protest. We know them. We know who they are, we know what they want to do but we will not allow them to do it.”
“The time has passed where any group of persons think they will concentrate power in their hands and dictate to a sitting governor what should happen in the state. I will be on the side of the people. Enough of allowing politicians to hijack our traditional institution and messing things up,” he stated.