Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
… Politicians want to Hijack Traditional matters – Royal Fathers
… This is Baseless, We don’t have hands in the Traditional Brawl – Politicians
By Saviour Ekpe
Uruan local government area is one of the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, naturally sub-divided under Uruan North, South South, South East Uruan Central for administrative convenience politically and traditionally.
Uruan Central, which is further sub-divided into three sub-grouping viz: Uruan Central one, Uruan Central two and Uruan Central three comprises 17 villages. Under Uruan Central two, there are 1. Ifiayong Esuk 2. Ifiayong Usuk 3. Idik Ikpa 4. Akpa Mfrukum 5. Ufak Effiong and 6. Akani-obio Uruan villages. Uruan Central three has 7. Anakpa 8. Nna Enin 9. Nnung Oku 10. Ikot Otoenye 11. Ikot Inyang Esuk 12. Esuk Oda 13. Nwaniba and 14. Ntrukpum villages while Uruan Central one has only three villages of 15. Mbiakong 16. Eman Ikot Ebo and 17. Idu that houses the local government secretariat.
The late clan head came from Uruan Central three and according to their unwritten traditional understanding, Uruan Central two is the next wing to produce the next clan head. While Uruan Central two enjoys the cooperation of producing the next clan head, Century Newsfront learnt that about ten of the 17 village heads are certificated while others are awaiting certification from the Akwa Ibom State government.
Speaking to Century Newsfront under the condition of anonymity a member of Uruan Central traditional rulers’ council accused politicians of the area of their role to hijack and taking over the selection and installation of the new clan head. Our source accuse Emmanuel Nicholas popularly known as White Bombom; Rev. Engr. J.B. Effiong and the political leader of Uruan, Prince Ekpe Atakpo, “when our late clan head was buried late last year, traditionally, that same day or at most two or three days after, selection and enthronement of the new traditional leader, in this case, our clan head is produced, but politicians in Uruan Central are clamouring to unanimously select the clan head without the traditional way of selection. They are saying that the governor asked them to select clan head for us. We will not wait to see this coup against our traditional institution and there will be a serious problem, bloodshed and anarchy if the politicians do not remove their hands from traditional matters, they cannot impose clan head to us. This is what our paramount ruler supposed to do but often, he referred us to Commissioner for Local and Chieftaincy Affairs, which is not our direct jurisdiction”.
Reacting to the allegations, the Political leader of Central Uruan, Rev. Engr. J. B. Effiong described such allegation as baseless. He told Century Newsfront that he does not dabble into traditional matter but insisted that things must be done properly so as not to rub mud on them, “I don’t get myself involved in any traditional matter. I am not a village head, which I don’t even intend to be, I am a preacher and minister of the gospel, my role in the clan is purely advisory, so it is not true that I have anything to do in the traditional brawl in my community. I don’t have anything to fight for, even my village head is not interested in that office, my only concern is, let they choose the right person with only three qualifications as I often proposed: 1. The next clan head must be able to read and write 2. Must know God, that is, not a juju or voodoo person and 3. Must have a means of survival. I know what we passed through during the burial of our late clan head. It was bad to the point that we had to go out of our ways to raise money for the burial, it ought not so to be, if not that God used White Bom bom who brought his personal money, over N4m and also explore his goodwill through his friends and they supported us and the burial was finally done”.
Also reacting to the allegation that he used his government connection to stop the process of selecting the new clan head, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Research and Documentation, Prince Emmanuel Nicholas also known as White Bombom told Century Newsfront that he has no power to stop the selection of the clan head since he is not eligible to vote, “how can I stop government from carrying out the selection process of the clan head, this is done by the Ministry of local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, not my office. My brother, Saviour, what I will not want to happen to us as a people is to have a clan head who is illiterate, cannot read and write in this modern age. At that point, if my advocacy that whoever they must select must be able to read and write is what they termed me as I am hijacking the process, so be it. The process of selection is domiciled in the Ministry and Paramount Ruler, I am neither a village head nor qualified to vote, I am only playing my role as a concern indigene of the area. The clan headship position this time around goes to Nwaniba, let they give us a reputable person, someone who has food to eat and can read and write, simple”. He further explained his role during the burial of the late clan head, “As a true son of Nnung Oku in Uruan Central, I did all I did to give the late clan head a befitting burial. Aside personal effort, others supported the course. People like Akparawa Ephraim Inyang, Ekpe Motors, Okon Okon, the Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly including the local government Chairman who gave both his personal donation and that of the council”.
In his reaction to Century Newsfront in his palace, the Paramount Ruler of Uruan, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Atakpo V, Rt. Hon. Cosmas Bassey Nkanga (PPA) who spoke passionately said the matter is traditional but for politicians to show undue interest is not according to traditional institution ethics, “Uruan Central has attempted to select their clan head after the demise of the former clan head but could not achieve success for the past four months. What I have seen appears as politicians have hijacked the whole system. I could have called certificated chiefs but since politicians want to hijack it, I have to exempt myself”.
The royal father further explained, “basically, selection is often done same day or at most, two or three days after the burial but this has taken nearly five months now since the burial of the departed clan head. It is unfortunate that most problems Uruan is facing came from Central Uruan, how long will this continue? I have been hinted that the delay is to ensure that other uncertified chiefs got certificated before the election can take place in order to do whatever they like. I am waiting for the Ministry to empower me to carry out the selection process. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate white Bombom for his role during the burial of the late clan head; he personally brought 80 per cent of the money aside those of his friends to ensure the burial ceremony was successful”.
Efforts to meet the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mbuk Inyang and the political leader of Uruan, Prince Ekpe Atakpo were unsuccessful as the Permanent Secretary refused to attend to Journalists but information from the grape vine and made available to Century Newsfront has it that the government’s decision is tailored towards September 23 during the state celebration for the enthronement of all selected and qualified royal fathers. Two major contenders out of the four, Eteidung Anthony Ekpe Asuquo, popularly known as Ekpe Motors and Eteidung Emmanuel Ben affirmed their readiness to stand election for the converted top job in the clan.
