Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has tasked the Paramount Rulers of the 31 Local Government Areas of the state to embrace peace in their respective domains.
He also promised to do everything within his power to ensure uninterrupted peace, equity and justice at the state level.
The Governor gave the task on Tuesday when he played host to the Paramount Rulers drawn from all the 31 local government areas to seek ways of resolving the lingering issues around the leadership of the President General of the Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, at the State Executive Council Chambers.
The Governor promised to sit with the paramount rulers to look into how the matter could be resolved but asked that the case instituted against the state government by a cross-section of the paramount rulers of Annang, Oro and Obolo extractions, be withdrawn first, so the government may not be in contempt with the court.
“This meeting is another step in my earnest desire to make peace where there is war and infuse love where hatred abounds. I do this conscious of the fact that we are brothers, not enemies; friends, not foes; coming from a treasured heritage and having a shared glorious future.
“As the Governor of this state, a mandate popularly obtained through the will of the people and the endorsement of God Almighty; and a Pastor by calling, I cannot and will not allow strife to persist, and if you check, that it has persisted, is not of my making”. The governor stated.
Speaking on behalf of Oro Nation, the Paramount Ruler of Mbo, HRM Ogwong Okon Asuquo Abang and his counterpart from Etim Ekpo, HRM Professor Amanam Udoh, apologised on behalf of the paramount rulers from their domain for not attending the first meeting earlier called by the Governor to resolve the matter.
On his part, the Paramount Ruler of Ibesikpo Asutan Edidem Clement Ekpenyong, thanked the Governor for hosting the meeting and promised to work with his colleagues to resolve the issue in the Traditional Rulers Council.
Tribune recalls that some traditional rulers from the two ethnic blocs of Annang and Oro had earlier criticised the law which grants perpetual leadership of the TRC to the Oku Ibom Ibibio disregarding the longstanding rotational provision among all the paramount rulers in the state.
The amended law birthed the new Supreme Council of Akwa Ibom Traditional rulers, with the Ibibio Patriarch and Oku Ibom Ibibio, Nteyin Solomon Etuk as the President-General for life.
Critics in many fora, including Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, in the State, have described the amended TRC law of the state, as discriminatory and offensive in nature.
